The First Mystery
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Before they were unmasking bad-guys... before they were famous detectives... before they could even drive! How the Mystery Inc. gang met... as KIDS!
1. Chapter 1: A Coward's POV

Hey, peeps! So, I've decided to start yet ANOTHER fan-fic- something you can expect every twice in a while- and I hope you'll enjoy it.

I was thinking about that Scooby-Doo movie they put on TV, where the Mystery Inc. gang met. In the movie, they meet as teenagers, and I couldn't help but recall an old SD show where the gang knew each other as kids. Most of you would remember the show as: _A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. _…So, I got to thinking: What would it be like if the gang met as kids?

And, thus, the plot was born!

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo… even though that was my childhood dream. *sigh*

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I wasn't the most coolest kid in school. I wasn't athletic like the other boys…

Or smart like some of the honor-roll kids…

Or good-looking…

Or talented…

Or brave…

Lets cut to the chase and say that I was so uncool, that the only way anyone would pay attention to me was if I did something stupid… and they paid attention to me five or six times a week. Even the nerds made fun of me- and I'm pretty sure most of them spent most school hours hanging from the flagpole by their underwear. And don't get me started on how the bullies treat me… I'm just glad I was born a fast runner.

My name is Norville Rogers… basically one reason why the kids pick on me. If you have a funny name and you went to school in Coolsville, I'd suggest you change it fast to save yourself from a swirly. …I don't know why my parents gave me a name like 'Norville'. Maybe some parents develop a sense of cruelty when their child is born and name them something that causes their classmates to point and laugh. I've been trying to come up with a nickname for myself since kindergarten, but with no success.

The other kids in my class were no help, either. The only names they would come up for me would be: "coward", "wimp", "moron", "loser", "weenie", "idiot", and "the bottomless stomach". …That last one was invented when everyone watched me eat.

You see, unlike most kids, I'm always hungry. I mean, there's always food in my house and everything, but I always want more to eat. And I'd eat anything: pizza, pasta, candy, soup, ice-cream, chocolate-covered hotdogs, cream-filled corn-dogs, bacon smeared with marshmallows… most kids found some of these things disgusting, while I found them delicious.

Can I help it if I grew up by a garbage disposal?

So, as you can tell, I'm not exactly 'cool'.

…And that's one reason why the school bully, Red Herring, dunked my head in the toilet this morning. Luckily, I've gone through this before, so I knew when to hold my breath, and I had been practicing holding it for about 30 seconds just in case.

"Have a drink, Rogers!" Red said to me, then let me go, pushing me to the ground. "What a weenie."

I shook my wet head, then walked over to the towel-dispenser, opening it and taking out a hair-dryer I stored in it at the beginning of the school year. I sighed as I dried my hair and the shoulders of my shirt, then put the dryer back and- grabbing my backpack- walked out of the boy's bathroom, heading to my first- and most despised- class: mythology.

Why do I despise mythology? Only one reason: the monsters. From bull-headed creatures to creepy women with snakes for hair, those monsters scared the heck out of me! And it wasn't just those monsters, but ALL monsters: vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, witches, boogeymen, aliens, bog-monsters, gnomes, gargoyles, etc, etc… Don't ask me why I'm so scared of monsters, because there's no reason why I _shouldn't _be scared.

I sat down in my desk in the back row. I always sat in the back row of the class because A) I was least likely to get a spit-ball in the back of my head, B) There was a small chance that the teacher would call on me, and C) The farther I was from the monster-posters taped to the chalkboard, the happier I was. I sat between two boys: Henry Chan, son of a detective in town. He's Chinese, and has, like, nine younger siblings (big family, right?). The other boy no one knows- he always wears a blue sweater with a hood pulled over his head, and no one ever heard him talk except in first grade- I was sick that day- and for some reason I don't know he never spoke again. …They were basically one of few boys who didn't pick on me, so I felt pretty safe.

…Of course, I wasn't as safe as I thought. As soon as I sat in my seat, I felt something squishy, and I stood up to see that someone *cough*Red*cough* stuck a wad of gum in my chair. I heard snickering and saw the bully and a couple of his lackies hi-fiving each other, so I knew that they weren't showing any mercy today. Sighing, I grabbed a small scraper out of my desk and began to remove the ABC gum off my pants and chair.

The bell rang and we all took our seats. "Alright, class, open up to page 93 of your textbooks where we left off yesterday…" our teacher was saying.

I didn't exactly listen. I took one peek at page 93 and nearly had a heart-attack. On the page was some weird dragon-like creature with over a dozen heads, and I didn't feel like looking at any of them. _Like, why do students have to learn this stuff? _I thought. _School is basically all about math, reading, and sports- why do we have to learn about monsters? It's not like we're going to come across any in real life! …At least, I HOPE not…_

"…Mr. Rogers? Mr. Rogers!"

"Huh?" I looked up, seeing that everyone was looking at me.

"I asked you a question, Mr. Rogers. Tell me, what was the consequences heroes faced if they were to cut off a hydra's head?"

_Zoinks! _I bit my bottom lip, sweating as the whole class stared at me, waiting for my answer. I never read any mythology stories, so I had no clue what would happen if someone cut off a hydra's head- I didn't even know what a 'hydra' was, and I didn't want to find out! "Um… well, uh…"

"Weenie," I heard Red whisper to a couple of his lackies, and they quietly snickered.

"Um, it would, um…"

"The hydra would grow another head. The more times it was decapitated, the more heads it grew. The only way to keep a head from growing was to burn the stump of the neck," a different voice answered.

We all looked over, seeing a new girl standing in the doorway, the principal behind her. She was shorter than the rest of us, with brown hair, large round glasses, wearing an orange vest over a white sweater and a burgundy-red skirt.

"Oh! Who is this?" The teacher asked.

"Allow me to introduce your new student: Velma Dinkley." The principal said.

"Pleasure to meet you," The girl, 'Velma', said.

"Well, Velma, why don't you take a seat?" The teacher suggested. Velma did so, taking the empty desk in front row.

I sighed with relief. _Saved by the new kid… _I thought. I looked at her, watching how she answered every question, always being the first one to raise her hand. …Which wasn't good, since Red was preparing a spit-ball with her name on it. He stuck it in his straw, preparing to blow-

"Like, look out!" I cried, and suddenly I found myself diving between the spit-ball and Velma, feeling it splat against my forehead.

The rest of the class was in an uproar of laughs. "Mr. Rogers, I've had enough of your fooling around!" The teacher snapped. "Now, return to your seat, and if I catch any more of your antics, you'll be in detention for a week!"

"Yes, ma'am," I sighed, walking back to my desk, ignoring a few quiet chuckles. I never understood how bullies got away with their cruel jokes.

When I sat down, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and looked over at Henry. "There's something on your back," he whispered to me.

I reached back, feeling a piece of paper, and tore a "Kick Me" sign off my back… for the ninth time that week. I looked ahead at Velma, who was looking at me curiously. I quickly ducked my head down, hiding the embarrassed look on my face.

First new kid in years, and I look like a fool.

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A/N: Hope this wasn't bad for the first chapter. As you've noticed, I've inserted another 'meddler' cameo- you can expect several more later on.

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2: A Prodigy's POV

Wow, this story got a couple reviews fast! Well, here's the next chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Looneytunecrazy: **Thank you, glad to hear it. (PS, I like your name)

**Lady Nightwisp: **So happy you like it! And no need to wait any longer ;)

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When I was born, I already knew how to crawl. A couple months later, I learned to walk and talk. By the time I was a year old, I already knew basic math. I'm a prodigy, as my parents have said, which was why I always surpassed my teachers and skipped a couple grades in school, my report cards always showing an A+ in every class, and always winning a blue ribbon at every science fair. But, there was one thing my intelligence could never figure out…

Why did everyone pick on me?

All the other kids at my last school always called me a 'nerd' or 'geek', and all the girls shunned me. The only reason any of them hung out with me was because they needed help on their homework- then once their grades got up I was cast aside like a broken protractor.

I had friends, don't worry… unfortunately, they were labeled as 'dorks' as well, and were also victims of being teased or having their brains taken advantage of. Luckily, as long as we stuck together, none of the taunting harmed us, since we all knew that we were not alone. We helped each other get over our problems, had our own study-parties, and had the same scientific interests. We knew we were invincible as long as our minds worked as one…

Sadly, though, we became distant the day I had to move. We decided to keep in touch via letters, yet it never felt the same as actually being with them, we all came to know. So, once the moving van was loaded, we all said our farewells, promising that we'd see each other again one day, hopefully at the same college.

My parents and I were given a tour of my new school, and talked to the principal about my outstanding academic records, and how- despite my age- I should be put in a higher grade than what kids my own age should be in. He agreed, and I was sent to my first class: mythology.

I'd like to take the chance to explain how I love mythology, and other urban legends… especially when some of them involve mysteries. When I wasn't working on school projects, I would be reading detective novels or watching crime-solving shows, coming up with my own theories and hypothesizing what the criminal would do next or who the next victim would be or which valuable artifact would be swiped later on. While most kids would be learning their ABC's, I was reading my fifth Nancy Drew book.

When it came to monsters, however, I knew they were never real, but I adored to watch shows or read books about them, intrigued on the history of the myths or who might be the wolf-man in an old black-and-white movie. But I never got around to believe in them, knowing that the stories were always just made-up, and how the monsters in the movies were always people in masks. No matter how cheesy the effects would be, I always loved a good thrill of adventure and solving mysteries.

I believe I've gotten off my previous subject.

As I was saying, I entered my first class, seeing that one of my new classmates- a rather tall bow with light-reddish-brown messy hair, wearing a green t-shirt, blue pants, and looking extremely nervous- was in the middle of answering a question about a creature known as the hydra, and what would happen if a hero were to decapitate it. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him- seeing how timid he was, obviously not knowing the answer or being very shy- so I decided to help him out a little.

"The hydra would grow another head," I answered, surprising the teacher. "The more times it was decapitated, the more heads it grew. The only way to keep another head from growing was to burn the stump of the neck."

I watched as the boy breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing in his desk. After I was introduced and took my seat, I looked around at the rest of my class. I sat between a girl with red hair pulled back by a blue headband, and a boy with brunette hair wearing sunglasses. Behind me was a boy of Chinese decent, wearing a brown vest over a white t-shirt and glasses…

And diagonally to my left, that tall boy leaping between me. "Like, look out!" he had cried. I watched as he hit the floor, and all the kids began to laugh at him.

"Mr. Rogers, I've had enough of your fooling around!" The teacher snapped at him. "Now, return to your seat, and if I catch any more of your antics, you'll be in detention for a week!"

"Yes, ma'am," The boy replied sadly, his voice sounding a bit squeaky, as if he was going through puberty. He was a little tall, so I suppose he had fast growth-spurts.

I looked over, seeing a curly red-haired boy wearing a dark-green sleeveless jacket over a white sleeveless shirt, putting a straw back into his desk- pulling out a "Kick Me" sign and placing it on the boy's back. Even the most simple-mind could label such a person as a bully, and it didn't take me long to realize that other boy had shielded me from one of his spit-ball attacks.

I looked back at the boy, seeing him duck his head low, and I felt sorry for him. The bully was the one causing trouble, but he was the one who got a finger wagged at him. I will never understand why people never listen to both sides of the story, find the liar, and let the victim go free while the guilty got the punishment.

So, in thanks, I walked up to the teacher's desk after class. "Excuse me, ma'am, might I talk to you?" I asked her.

"Yes, but make it quick. I have another class coming in, and I don't think you want to be late for your second class." she replied. "Do you have a question?"

"Actually, I have some information. You see, that boy that interrupted class was actually shielding me from-"

"Hey, you're the new kid? Let me show you around!" Another voice said, and I found myself being pulled out of the classroom by that boy in the sunglasses. Once we were in the hall, he stood in front of me. "Listen, since you're new here, let me give you a piece of advice: Do. Not. Snitch."

I arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I know Red Herring shot a spit-wad at you- a lot of us know it- but you CAN'T squeal on him! If you do, you'll end up like THAT kid," he pointed at a boy with orange hair being shoved into a locker. "Maybe worse. I know you're smart, so hopefully you'll be smart enough to know that if you tattle, you're done for." With that, he took off, catching up to a girl with black hair with a white stripe running through it.

The second bell rang, and I hurried to my next class: science. I didn't see that other boy or the red-haired bully (who, I assume, is addressed as 'Red Herring') in the room, so I figured they were in another class. I took my seat next to a girl with long blonde hair, who was doodling in her notebook. She looked at me and smiled. "Oh, hi! You must be the new girl. I'm Melody," she said, her tone bubbly.

"Velma," I said, sticking out my hand in introduction.

"No, 'Melody',"

I arched an eyebrow and pulled my hand back away. "Okay then…"

The rest of my classes went by slowly, and with each one I kept looking for the boy who took a spitball for me. I managed to find him during lunch- which wasn't too hard, because I easily spotted him walking by with a tray stacked with food. He sat down alone at a table, and that's when I decided to make proper introductions, sitting across from him (hoping he could see me over the pile of food in front of him). He began gorging himself, and I forced myself to ignore all the chewing and gulping sounds he made.

"Hi," I began.

The gulping stopped, and he looked behind his stack of food at me- his mouth full and food on his face. He swallowed his food, looking at me with surprise. "Oh… like, hi." he replied.

There was a short pause between us, and I began to feel a little nervous, hoping to make a good impression on my first day, but for some reason I couldn't come up with anything to say that would lead to the statement I wanted to make.

Luckily, he spoke first. "So… you're new, huh?"

"Yes, I am," I replied.

"Uh, huh… so, like, what do you think of the school, so far?" By his next expression, he looked as if he were mentally calling himself an idiot.

"It's alright, I guess. It would be easier if I knew more about the people, here."

"I could help you with that. I know a lot about our class," he pointed over at a table, where a group of hansom-looking boys sat. "Over there are the cool guys. The one with brown hair wearing a gray shirt with a burgundy stripe is Biff, and the black-haired kid in the white shirt with vertical blue stripe is Mark. They're both cousins; Across from them are Alan and Freddy Jones- Alan is the blonde haired kid in the blue shirt and red ascot, and Freddy is the blonde-haired kid in the white shirt with blue horizontal stripe with an orange ascot. A lot of girls find them all attractive… though, they label Freddy as a nut, for some reason."

I watched as a group of girls walked past the boys' table, blushing and giggling. _Huh, boy… _I thought, critically.

He then pointed at another table, this one full of girls. "And those are the popular girls. The redhead, blonde, and black girl at the end are- in order- Josie, Melody, and Valerie. They all share a music class; Across from them are Debbie- she's the light-brunette- and Kim- the one with dark skin- and Alexandra, the girl with the skunk-like hair; The girl sitting at the end in front of them is Daphne Blake- the most popular, and richest, girl in the entire school."

_I won't be fitting in with them anytime soon. _Came my next mental comment. Learning from experience at my last school, I made the assumption that popular girls refused to be caught hanging out with girls like me.

Next, he pointed at a table occupied by 7 kids of Chinese descent, though most of them were younger than the rest. "Those are the Chan kids. They have two more siblings at home, and their father is a detective. They're in different grades, but they always sit with each other."

_A detective? Jinkies! _I thought in awe, and wondered, with envy, if any of the kids got to join their father on a case.

The next table at four kids sitting at it, two boys and two girls. "The two boys at that table are Larry and D.D.- Larry's the one with brown hair and D.D. is the one with curly red hair and wearing glasses and a yellow hat; The two girls are Pepper and Dotty- Pepper is the blonde and Dotty is the redhead and youngest one- she's even in the same grade as them, being a genius. They're all siblings."

_Another prodigy, eh? Glad I'm not the only one, _I thought. I looked around at all the groups of kids, seeing Red Herring and a few other brutish-looking kids sitting at a table. I looked over at a circular table in the corner, seeing a boy in a blue sweater with the hood pulled over his head, sitting alone. "Who's that kid?" I asked.

"Him? …I have no idea. I never caught his name, and he never talks to anyone. I just heard that everyone made fun of him for something and he's been a loner ever since."

"Pretty dramatic. C'mon, lets go talk to him,"

"I wouldn't do that," A southern-voice said, and we looked over, seeing a boy with orange hair and goggles on his head standing next to us, the boy in sunglasses right beside him. I took note that the boy who spoke was the one who got shoved into a locker this morning. "I heard that the last kid who spoke to him got a black eye, bloody nose, and a mouth full of gums- all from one punch!"

"That's not what I heard," The boy in the sunglasses said. "I heard that a girl spoke to him, and the next minute she ran home crying!"

"Zoinks!" The other boy gasped.

"Do you guys have any proof?" I asked.

"Well… not really. We just heard about it," The boy in the goggles said.

"But it would be a good reason why he doesn't hang out with anyone!" The boy in the sunglasses added. "He's probably one of those 'silent bullies',"

I rolled my eyes. "If he were a 'silent bully', don't you think he would have gone after someone by now?" I questioned. "I think everything you just told me is nothing but a bunch of false witnesses." I picked up my tray and began walking from the table. "I think before you judge people, you should get to know them. Besides, no one deserves to sit alone at luWAUGH!"

…That last outburst came when I was tripped. The next thing I knew, food was flying off my tray and onto my hair, and the whole cafeteria was in an uproar of guffaws. I looked over, seeing that 'Alexandra' girl had her feet stuck out, the cause of my tripping. "Watch where you're going, you klutz!" she sneered.

I had just arrived at a new school, and before the day was even over I wished I was back at my old one.

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A/N: So far, things aren't quite looking up. I know it's a little early, but I wanted to introduce the other cameos, too.

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 3: A Beauty's POV

I'm write-happy at the moment, so here's another chapter!

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There was one thing I was good at, and that was looking good. I came from a high-class family, so anything I wanted I could get- especially if it came in pink! From the moment I was born to my very first day of school, everyone loved me. Boys adored me, and girls envied me, and I never had a problem in the world…

Well, I did have ONE problem.

Everyone only liked me for my looks. I suppose you all think that, due to my first statement, I'm one of those girls who puts her looks above everything else, believes beauty is power, broke several hearts, and would freak if a single speck of dirt got on her sweater. …Well, only the last thing is true. I mean, I enjoy looking gorgeous and getting attention, but I want people to like me for more than my appearance…

And my money. My second thought is that everyone who hangs out with me only does it so they can swim in my 40-yard pool, take a ride in my private helicopter, have a slumber-party at a classy motel, have dinner in another country,or have my butler, Jenkins, get something for them, or because they're worried my dad might sue them if they refused to be my friends.

You think I sound skeptical? I'm not. Back in 3rd grade, some girl heard I was rich and decided to hang out with me, and a boy said he liked me. One day my family went bankrupt (temporarily, since it turns out their was a glitch in our bank system) and the girl pretended that I didn't exist. During that same day, I lost my two front teeth and the boy ignored me as well, looking at a different girl. …Didn't think there'd be that much drama in 3rd grade, did you?

Ever since then, I became cautious on who my friends were. My current friends- Josie, Melody, Valerie, Debbie, Kim, and Alexandra- are okay. Josie and her two friends are really nice, having an interest in music; Debbie is more of a tomboy, taking an auto-shop class this year; Kim is basically my best friend, both of us sharing the same interests- only she prefers her wardrobe in purple, which she told me I ought to try sometime; and Alexandra… well, to tell the truth, I don't exactly consider her a close friend. I believe that the only reason she hangs out with me and the other girls is so that the boys- especially Alan- notice her.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that- if my looks failed or if I wasn't rich- my friends would abandon me. I guess I'm just paranoid, but when you're as rich and beautiful as I am, you have to take caution on who you hang out with.

Well, enough about that. Lets get to my day so far…

I sat with my girl-friends at our table, chatting with them and sharing gossip. The first conversation we started was about the new girl we had. "You should've seen what that Rogers boy did in mythology today," Josie was telling us. "Red Herring shot a spitball at the new girl, and he leaped in front of it and blocked her! It was SO sweet!"

"Don't look now, girls, but I think the 'sweet' is about to get 'sweeter'," Valerie said, nodding her head forward.

We looked over, seeing that the new girl was sitting down by the Rogers kid. "Do you think they like each other?" Melody asked.

"I doubt it. She's probably just thanking him for being a human shield for her," Debbie said.

"She MIGHT develop a crush on him, though, or vice-versa." Kim stated.

"THAT, I do not doubt," I said, patting a bit of blush on my cheek. "Whenever there's a new kid, there's always a crush, and after what Josie just told us, Rogers might be the one doing all the crushing."

"You girls are so love-sickening," Alexandra sneered. "Everyone knows that no one crushes on losers. It's always popular-with-popular, or loser-with-popular. Never loser-with-loser or, God forbid, popular-with-loser."

"You shouldn't call her a loser just yet, Alexandra," Josie said. "She might turn out to be pretty cool."

"Hey, she's coming this way now," Kim said.

"Lets ask her to sit with us," Debbie suggested.

"What?" Alexandra scoffed, then turned to me. "You don't HONESTLY want a geek-girl to sit with us, DO you?"

Like I said, Alexandra- not exactly within my 'friend' status. "Josie has a point," I said. "I think we should get to know the new girl. It's only best that we help her feel more welcomed,"

The girl walked by our table. "Hey, new girl-" Valerie began to call to her.

"WAUGH!" The new-girl screamed, falling to the floor, her tray landing in her head and covering her with food. Everyone in the cafeteria laughed.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you klutz!" Alexandra sneered. I looked over, noticing that she had her feet sticking out, and I glared at her.

Getting up from the table, I walked over to the new girl. "Are you alright?" I asked, helping her up.

"My glasses fell off…" she replied, blindly sticking her hands out. "I can't see without them."

I looked down, seeing her glasses on the floor. I handed them back to her, then began to lead her out of the cafeteria. "C'mon, lets get this gunk washed off you." I lead her to my locker. I opened the door, revealing my built-in vanity, make-up kits, and extra clothes. I grabbed my hairbrush and began brushing some of the food out of her hair, while she cleaned off her glasses with a piece of cloth. "I'm really sorry about what happened back there. Sometimes Alexandra acts like a snob just to show who's boss, though it only makes people hate her more."

"It's okay. I'm fine,"

I reached into my locker and pulled out some shampoo. "I brushed out most of the food, but you may want to wash your hair to get rid of the balony-and-cabbage surprise. I have my own private washroom in the bathroom."

"Thanks."

"By the way, I didn't catch your name. What is it?"

"Velma!" A different voice answered, and we looked over, seeing the Rogers kid running toward us, out of breath. "I saw (pant pant) what happened. (huff huff) Are you (gasp) alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks to, um…" the new girl, Velma, began to say, then turned to me. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your name."

"Daphne, Daphne Blake." I answered.

"Whoa! I didn't see you standing there," Rogers said, jumping back a bit.

I arched an eyebrow. It was the first time a boy didn't notice me. "By the way, my friends and I noticed that the two of you were sitting together."

"Like, yeah, I was just telling her about most of the kids in school,"

"Well, if you want to know more, you can come to me. I know EVERYTHING there is to know about everyone in this school… especially the boys." I gave Velma a small wink, hoping she'd get the hint.

"Um, that's okay. I think I learned enough from…" she began, then looked back at Rogers. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, either."

I watched Rogers cringe, rubbing the back of his neck, looking absolutely embarrassed. I couldn't blame him. 'Norville' wasn't the most appealing name for a boy, and everyone had laughed at his name since kindergarten. Oh, my gosh, what if Velma laughed, too? That would SO spoil the whole 'crush' theory, and it would be completely rude, considering the fact that he practically sacrificed himself so she wouldn't get a spitball stuck to her face.

So, I decided to help out a bit. "We all call him 'Shaggy'," I spoke up.

"'We'?" Rogers questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Shaggy?" Velma repeated.

"Yeah, because of his hairstyle," I replied, tussling his hair a bit. "It's always poofy and he hardly combs it, so that's what we call him."

"Oh, well I guess that would fit."

"Yeah, I guess…" Rogers muttered, giving me a look.

"By the way, 'Shaggy', I never got around to thanking you for this morning,"

He grinned. "Heh heh, like, no problem, Velma."

Yes! The crush was taking effect!

The bell rang, telling us that lunch was over. "I got to get to my next class. I'll see you guys around, later." Velma said, then began walking off. "Thanks again, Daphne!"

"You're welcome!" I called to her.

"Shaggy? Really?" Rogers said, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Hey, it's better than 'Norville', isn't it?"

He thought about it. "Well…"

"No way… Daphne Blake is hanging out with a geek and giving a loser a nickname?" A voice laughed, and we looked over, seeing Red Herring standing there, watching us from around the corner. "Man, wait 'til I tell everyone!" With that, he took off.

I blushed, quickly turning and rushing down the hall.

In just a few short minutes, my social statues plummeted.

It plummeted further when I ran into the OTHER nut-ball in the school…

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A/N: Three down, two to go… (I hope I kept Daphne in-character).

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	4. Chapter 4: A Theorist's POV

Wow, this story is getting popular. Well, here's the next chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Looneytunecrazy: **Thank you, and things will look better for Velma once you catch up, along with several cameo's you've mentioned.

**Sonar: **Thanks : )

**Scoobyfan1: **0_o *slaps forehead* I KNEW I got those two mixed up! Thank you for pointing that out, and I've edited the chapter so I got their names right.

**Lady Nightwisp: ***whew* That's a relief. …As for the other nut-ball… ah, there's no denying you're right, lol

**Brianna: **So glad you like the story, and the Pussycats' cameos ^-^

Disclaimer: I thought I could ditch it in the last chapter, but these things tend to catch up to you. *annoyed sigh* So, I DON'T own Scooby-Doo, or any of the other meddlers you'll see in this story. …drats.

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People never believe me when I tell them there's something going on.

For instance, back in October, I heard a gurgling sound from the basement and immediately called the cops, reporting that a giant Blob was hiding out in the cellar… though, after they investigated, it only turned out the drainage pipe was backed up and our water-heater was leaking. I tried to explain my theory about the Blob having made an escape down the pipe- being the cause of the blockage- but they only told me I've been watching too many horror movies and to stop making prank calls.

Then there was a time around Christmas that I saw the abominable snowman lurking through my yard, and I woke my parents in the middle of the night and told them about it. Turns out it was only our neighbor taking their dog out for a late-night walk, wearing a heavy white fur-coat. I tried to tell my parents that our neighbor was probably the snowman in disguise, but they told me to go back to bed and leave the neighbors alone. …Hey, if you saw an old man wearing a fur coat in the middle of the night, you'd make the same assumption, too.

And last week, someone released the class guinea-pig into the cafeteria, making Alexander freak out when he found it on his tray, nibbling his salad. At first, I assumed that Mole People who live underground were assembling classroom pets to enlist in their army and take over the world… but I knew that was ridiculous- I mean, why would Mole People want to come to school? So, I turned my investigation toward my main culprit, the one person who's ALWAYS up to no good…

Red Herring.

I told the principal about it, but Red Herring made the excuse that he was out sick that day with the flu, and his mom was a witness. To tell the truth, every time I accused him of something, he had a good excuse… But that didn't take him off my 'Most Wanted' list, just yet!

…Especially since I saw him running down the hall during lunch, snickering about something. "Hey, hold it right there-!" I called, running after him.

*WHAM!*

…But, unfortunately, I ended up running _into _Daphne Blake. "Geez, Freddy, watch where you're going!" she snapped, standing up and brushing herself off, then looked at herself in a hand-held mirror. "You almost messed up my hair,"

"Sorry, Daphne. I was just running after Red Herring," I replied, looking down the hall where Red ran, but he had vanished. "He's up to something…"

"Ugh, you got that ride. The Neanderthal is trying to convince everyone that I hang out with geeks and got all buddy-buddy with that Rogers kid by giving him a nickname,"

Aha! I KNEW that kid was up to no good! …Hey, lying IS a crime, isn't it?

"Why would he say stuff like that?" I asked her. My dad told me I always needed to get my facts straight before accusing people, and investigation always involves getting the full story.

"Oh, he just saw me helping out the new girl after she got gunk in her hair, and I noticed how friendly she was toward Rogers and figured he was developing a crush on her. So, to keep him from sounding like an idiot in front of her, I gave him an alias so she wouldn't laugh." Daphne replied, while fixing her hair, then gave me a cold look. "But, you didn't hear this from me. If Velma- aka the new girl- starts calling Rogers 'Shaggy', assume it's a pet-name she came up for him." With that, she put away her mirror and headed off to class.

I couldn't help but wonder why Daphne would want to keep giving Rogers a nickname- of course, after what she just told me, she was probably afraid Red would twist it into a rumor that she LIKED the kid. So, I decided to keep it low-profile, and help her save-face.

Then I ran down the hall, searching for Red Herring. The second bell rang, reminding me that I was going to be late for class, so I had to call off my investigation until later. I turned around and headed to my next class, English, taking my seat between Alan and Mark. The teacher was running late, giving everyone a chance to talk.

"Hey, Freddy, where'd you run off to during lunch?" Mark asked me.

"I saw Red Herring take off, and I figured he's up to no good." I told them, keeping my voice low. "He's probably in the locker room, replacing all the shower-heads with-" I was cut short when my friends groaned. "What?"

"Fred, when are you going to give it up? Red has been proven innocent in every crime you accused him of." Alan said.

"Yeah, you've been accusing him of everything since pre-school," Mark added. "Give it a rest, and focus on other things,"

"Yeah, like that book-report you were supposed to turn in last week, but instead went hunting for vampires," Biff said behind me.

"Hey, that family across the street never came out during the day!" I retorted.

"That's because they weren't HOME during the day," Mark said, rolling his eyes. "You spied on their house all day, every day that summer."

"Well, I'm right this time, especially since I had a witness. …Red Herring is planning on spreading rumors about one of the girls in our class!"

"I hope it isn't Josie," Alan responded, the only one who actually seemed shocked.

"Hold it, Alan," Mark said to him, then looked back at me. "Who was the witness?"

"I can't say. I had to take a vow of silence, for the sake of her reputation." I replied.

"Riiiiiight," The three of them said, rolling their eyes.

"And I bet in the future, sharks will talk and people will live underwater," Alan joked.

"Hey, it could happen! I read it in one of my comic books," I sneered.

"You need to get your head out of those comic books, Freddy, otherwise people will start seeing you as some sort of whacko." Biff told me.

I rolled my eyes. The teacher came in, and we ended our conversation there. _One of these days, I'll prove I'm right, _I thought, promisingly.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry if the chapter on Freddy wasn't very long, but it's getting late and my inspiration-gauge is normally on empty by that time. But, I promise longer chapters in the future!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	5. Chapter 5: Homeless

Here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoy… or else I'd be a complete failure in making your day.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Scoobyfan1: **Yeah, it's nice to get the right information. Thanks again.

**Doctor Britanna Banana Who: **Wait no longer, and read on my friend!

**Lady Nightwisp: **If there's one thing I always loved about Freddy it's his theories XD And he'll catch Red Herring… someday.

**Looneytunecrazy: **Yeah, I felt like putting in a foreshadowing for Daphne's fashion, lol. So glad you liked the cameos, and glad you spot the Jabberjaw reference! (I also take it you're a fan of the Pussycats, right?) …And you're welcome ^-^

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo or any other meddling kids, despite how awesome that would be.

*The rest of the story will be told in 3rd person*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The last bell rang, and the kids ran out of the building, finally able to taste the freedom of the afternoon now that they were out of school. Some of the kids ran home to play videogames, others took to their bikes and raced one another down the street, most went to the malt shop for a smoothie and listen to the jukebox…

And a few went to the Coolsville pet-shop, having saved up their allowances or begged their parents for a new pet. In that pet-shop sat several puppies in the window. One of them, a Great Dane pup, kept sniffing around, coming across the food dish, which was unfortunately empty. The pup whined, then looked out the window, watching as a family of Chinese descent walked in. "R'oh boy!" The puppy exclaimed, his tail wagging.

"Alright, kids, remember- we all must agree on a dog," A man, undoubtedly the father of the children, said. "And you each must take good care of it, otherwise we take it back."

"Lets get that one!" One of the girls, who was slightly chubby with a high pony-tail, exclaimed as she pointed at a white bloodhound puppy.

"I want that one!" A boy wearing an orange short-rimmed hat said, pointing at an orange hound.

"How about this one?" Another girl, who dressed as a tomboy, suggested, petting the Great Dane puppy on the head.

The kids argued over which dog to get, until their father cleared his throat. "I believe Scooter picked one out as well," he said, pointing at his youngest son, who was cuddling a small, long-haired puppy.

All the kids smiled at the sight of the puppy, their eyes lighting up. "That one!" They all exclaimed.

The Great Dane puppy watched as the family adopted the puppy, waving good-bye to his former pen-mate. He then watched as two kids walked in- a blonde haired girl and a red-head curly-haired boy in glasses. "We'd like to get a dog," the girl said to the store owner.

"Right over here," The owner said.

Immediately, the Great Dane pup tried to get their attention. He held up a banner that said "On Sale", then showed them a ribbon that said "Most Loyal", and finally set up a flashing neon-sign reading "Pick Me!"

"How about this one?" The boy asked, patting the white bloodhound on the head.

"I kind of like this one," The girl replied, rubbing the orange hound under the chin. "Which one do you suppose Dotty would like for her birthday?"

"I don't know… Why don't we get them both? That way she can pick."

"What if she chooses both?"

"Then, I guess we'll keep them both."

"Fine… but if Mom gets mad, remember- it was YOUR idea."

The Great Dane sighed, watching the last two puppies get adopted. He lied down in his pen, sadly, his ears perking up when two more kids came in, once again a boy and a girl. The boy had shaggy brown hair and wore sunglasses, and the girl had black hair with a stripe running through it. "What can I do for you ki- Holy cow! There's a skunk on your head!" The store owner cried out at the sight of the girl.

The girl scowled. "That's my HAIR, wise-guy," she sneered.

"Oh… sorry about that. (ahem) What can I do for you?"

"First of all, I wouldn't recommend commenting on my looks again, unless it's a compliment. Second, my brother and I wish to purchase a pet."

"Okay… what kind of pet are you looking for?"

"I'd kind of like a dog," the boy said, and the Great Dane pup's excitement increased.

"You're in luck, we have one left…"

"I DON'T want some mangy mutt!" The girl snapped at her brother. "I want an animal that's already house-broken and cute, and who will do everything I say, and who DOESN'T smell," she looked around, her face perking up. "Oh! That kitten looks promising…"

The puppy whimpered, watching as the boy and girl walked out with a black-and-white kitten. "How come the one time Mom and Dad lets us get a pet, YOU get to pick it?" the boy was muttering.

"Oh, shut up, or I'll have them lock you in with the constrictor!"

The store owner looked at the clock, sighing. "Closing time again, boy," he said, rubbing the Great Dane behind the ear. "Maybe someone will adopt you tomorrow,"

"Aw…" The puppy whined, curling up in the corner of the pen, watching as the store owner switched the sign to 'Close', pulled down the curtains in the windows, and locked up.

It wasn't the first time the puppy had to spend the night alone in the shop. His last family felt their home was too crowded already with two dogs, aka his parents, and sold him to the store when no one else wanted to take him. Ever since that day, he awaited a new owner, watching as several puppies and other animals went home with a new family to take care of them… leaving him the last one to be seen in the window. Even when he was the last puppy in the window, no one would take him home, breaking his heart every evening. Nothing changed…

Of course, tonight became different when a shadow loomed behind the door. The puppy's ears perked up, sensing something out of the ordinary, and looked over. A figure now stood on the outside of the door, trying to get in, slamming its shoulder against the glass. "Ripe!" The puppy yelped, ducking under the blanket in his pen.

The figure finally smashed through the door, and all the puppy saw was a furry creature with sharp claws and teeth, glowing red eyes, and looking beyond petrifying. The store owner then burst back in, hearing the commotion. "What's going on? Who's in here?" he demanded, gasping when he saw the creature. "Oh my-! AUGH!"

The creature snarled at the store owner, then ran over to the animal cages, scanning them all until it saw the one it wanted: the Great Dane puppy. It approached, claws sticking out, its glowing red eyes fixed on the quivering pup.

*WHACK!*

The store-owner hit the monster on the back of the head. "Get out of my store, you creep!" he shouted. In response, the monster smacked him across the room and into the hamster cages, then turned back to the puppy.

…Who managed to make a break for it while the creature was distracted. Running out the broken door, the young puppy fled down the street. "Relp! Ronster! Ronster!" he cried into the night. He heard the monster snarling, and looked behind him, seeing it running after him! "Relp! RELP!"

The monster chased the puppy toward an alley, but was suddenly blinded by the headlights of a car, hearing someone honking at it. "Whoa! What the…?" The driver shouted, getting a good look at the creature. The monster snarled then ran the other way.

The puppy raced down the alley, until he was sure he had lost the monster. Seeing that the creature was no longer on his tail, he sighed with relief, then continued down the alley. "Reow!" A stray cat yowled when he passed by, hissing at him.

"Raugh!" The puppy yelped, backing away and into a trash can, that tipped over with a *CRASH!* following. "Rikes!" he then ran out of the alley and down the sidewalk, heading toward the neighborhood, turning each corner, barely dodging a car when he ran across the street, and leaped over a fence and into some bushes.

Panting heavily, the young Great Dane looked around, making sure there was no danger in sight. Once he felt secure, he looked around at his surroundings, noticing he ran clear out to the edge of the neighborhood, a house close by. Sighing, he walked toward the house, noticing the all the lights were out, so the owners were probably sound asleep- meaning they would be easily bothered if a puppy were to wake them, no doubt. He lied down behind a bush, whimpering as he curled up, drifting asleep and dreaming that he had his own family, lying in front of a fireplace as his owner stroked his head, having a food-dish full of a mountain of treats…

"Arrrooooooo!" came a wolf-howl, and the Great Dane's eyes shot open.

He decided to sleep AFTER the sun came up.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Poor pup… will he find a home? And who was the mysterious creature, and what did it want with the Great Dane?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	6. Chapter 6: Monster Talk

Anyone feel like reading a new chapter?

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Doctor Britanna Banana Who: **It sure is ^-^

**Lady Nightwisp: **Don't worry, he will ;)

**Looneytunecrazy: **Who doesn't love all the works of Hanna-Barbara? And things will improve for both Scooby AND everyone else… eventually.

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo or any other Hanna-Barbara/Ruby-Spears meddlers. STOP RUBBING IT IN!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The sun rose early that Saturday morning, and Velma got out of bed, looking out her window. "Perhaps I should look around my new neighborhood. Maybe I'll meet up with some of my kids in my class and get to know them better," she said to herself. Getting dressed and having breakfast, she walked out the door and headed down the block.

Not even ten paces down the sidewalk did she hear the gossip of some of the neighbors. "Did you hear what happened to Mr. Monroe's pet shop, last night?" an old woman was saying to another. "Some monster broke in!"

"Oh, my. The same thing happened to a pet-store in a town north of here," the other old woman replied.

"Ten feet tall with razor sharp claws. That's what he said," A man across the street was telling the mailman.

"You don't say…" The mailman responded, rubbing his chin. "That's how my nephew described the monster that broke into a pet shop in HIS town."

"What do you suppose it was after?" A woman was asking her gardener.

"What I heard was it went after a puppy…" the gardener said.

_What is everyone talking about? _Velma wondered, turning around the corner. _All this talk about a monster breaking into a pet-shop… It sounds pretty strange, especially coming from the adults. I wonder-_

"Oh!" She gasped, watching as a kid on a bike skid to a stop in front of her, an inch from running her over. "Sorry, I should really watch where I'm going…"

"Naw, it's basically all my fault," The kid said, and she noticed it was the orange-haired boy with the goggles on his head from yesterday. "I've been tampering with the gears on my bike, trying to make it go faster. …Problem was, I forgot to mess with the brakes."

Velma studied the bike. "It looks like you have some gears missing. Did anyone else have your bike?"

"Nope, just me. They're probably the gears I took out to use for my invention,"

"Invention? What kind of invention?"

"C'mon! I'll show ya!" The boy started leading her down the sidewalk to his house. "My name's Tinker, by the way."

"Velma Dinkley. I believe we met yesterday in the cafeteria,"

"Oh, yeah. You're that new girl who tried to talk to The Hood Kid."

She arched an eyebrow. "The… Hood Kid?"

"That boy who always wears a hood over his head and never talks to anyone. I heard his vocal cords dried up and withered because he never uses them."

"I'm afraid that's physically impossible, along with your statement of him giving someone a black eye, bloody nose, and knocking out their teeth with one punch. Who did you hear that from, anyway?"

"I've heard it from a lot of people, and more. But I have no clue who starts all these wild stories. …Hey, speaking of which, did you hear about what happened down at the pet shop last night?"

"I heard some talk about it. Some monster broke in, or something like that…"

"Not just any monster- the Pet-Store Prowler. Everyone at school saw it all over the news: It breaks into every pet store it can find, but never takes anything, like it's searching for a specific animal or something." He then stopped in front of a garage. "Well, here we are. My invention is right over here." He walked over to an object hidden under some tarp, then pulled it back, revealing a skateboard with an engine on it. "Ta-da! The very first motorized skateboard! …Well, the prototype, actually."

"Intriguing…" Velma began to circle the skateboard, impressed. "Where did you come up with the idea?"

"Well, I noticed a pattern in history: we've got motorized cars, motorized bikes, motorized boats… but plain ol' skateboards. So, I decided I'm gonna be the first one to put an engine on a skateboard! …Problem is, I can't get it running right."

"I could help," She grabbed a wrench and began working on the motor.

"You know how to work machines?"

"Of course. I've been working with all kinds of technology." She then pulled out a briefcase, and a large computer popped out of it. "Including building my own portable computer."

"Golly! You must be some sort of super-genius!"

"Well, I hate to brag… Now then, lets see what we can do to improve your motorized skateboard."

"Sure thing! …Hey, maybe you can help me with my next invention."

"What would that be?"

Tinker walked over to a table, pulling out some blueprints. "The very first remote-controlled, talking car!"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daphne walked down the sidewalk and into the mall, and the first thing she heard was the talk about the monster. "Monroe is pretty shook up about it. He can't stop shivering!" A teenager was saying to his friend.

"I thought that was because one of the hamsters shimmied down his shirt," the friend replied.

"What are they talking about?" Daphne wondered, arching an eyebrow.

"Daphne!" A voice called, and she looked over, seeing Valerie and Melody running toward her.

"Hey, girls. Where's Josie?"

"She decided to spend the day with Alan." Melody said, giggling. "I think they're getting pretty close."

"I hope Alexandra doesn't find out, then. You know how she gets when she sees another girl with Alan. It's like she's obsessed!"

"Yeah, but that's not the biggest talk going around," Valerie said. "There's been a story going around about the Pet-Shop Prowler attacking the pet store down the street."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon, Val. Everyone knows that there's no such thing as monsters!"

"Tell that to the rest of Coolsville. Everyone's been talking about it since early this morning. The monster was last seen chasing after a Great Dane puppy."

"Aw, poor puppy. I hope it's okay," Melody responded.

"The monster was said to be ten feet tall, all furry, with razor sharp claws and fangs. Mr. Monroe was in shock at the sight of it!"

"Please. He probably just saw a bigger dog chasing after the puppy and exaggerated." Daphne scoffed.

"Not exactly, Daph. The puppy it chased was inside the store first, and the creature broke in and went after it."

Daphne shook her head. "It's just some made-up story. I mean, who would believe that a monster broke into a pet-store to catch a puppy?"

At that moment, Freddy ran up, out of breath. "Hey, guys. (puff puff) Did you hear about that monster breaking into the pet-store?" he said. "Unbelievable, right?"

"You got THAT right," Daphne rolled her eyes.

"I'm heading down to the crime-scene now to check it out. First, I'm going to buy some monster-hunting supplies," With that, he took off.

"That kid is possibly the biggest goof-ball of the century,"

"Oh, c'mon Daphne. You gotta admit, it IS pretty interesting." Valerie said. "A monster loose in Coolsville…"

"For the last time, Valerie! There's no such thing as monsters! And to prove it, I'm going to the pet store right now and find the evidence that proves it's all fake!"

"How do we know you're going for the evidence, and not just Freddy?" Melody asked, smirking.

"Yeah, girl. You seem pretty excited to go down there, right after he said he was."

"Ew! Me and FREDDY? Gross! I wouldn't be caught ANYWHERE with that ascot-wearing nut-case. I'm going off to prove the monster isn't real, and that's it!" With that, Daphne trudged off… pausing in front of a store window. "Right after I check out this shoe sale!" And she ran into the store.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The sun shone through the window, penetrating the poofy-haired head of Norville… Or, thanks to Daphne's nickname catching on, 'Shaggy' Rogers. He didn't exactly know what to think of the new name, but once Red Herring started telling everyone about it, it spread like wildfire and suddenly all the kids in school was calling him 'Shaggy'. _Well, it's better than 'Norville'… _he thought, deciding to take Daphne up on her point, and allowed the name to stick to him.

Getting dressed, he hopped on his bike and started his newspaper route. "…Broke in last night…" he heard one of the neighbors saying.

"Huge and hairy, with pointed teeth…" Another was telling the milkman.

"Ran after a Great Dane…" Said another.

Shaggy gulped. "Take it easy, man." he told himself. "Just stick to the route, and ignore them…"

"Kind of startling to hear some monster is loose…" Said an old man, who was talking to another by the bus-stop.

Shaggy's hair stuck out in fright, and he shot down the street, quickly throwing papers on every doorstep until he came to the last house. Panting, out of breath, he stepped off the bike, grabbing the last paper. "Like, I gotta start remembering to bring my cassette-player with me on my routes." He walked over to the house, where he saw a boy with curly, light-brown hair looking into the bushes. "Hey, Sherman."

"Oh, hey Norville." The boy, Sherman, replied. He stood up, walking toward him. "Anything new happen at school, yesterday?" Unlike the other kids, Sherman was home-schooled. Shaggy had met him on one of his newspaper routes, and they soon became friends.

"Not much. We got a new girl in our class… and I got a new nickname!"

"Ooh, ooh! What is it?"

"Shaggy. Daphne Blake gave it to me, saying it fit due to my hairstyle."

"Daphne Blake? The rich girl? …I don't believe it."

"Might as well, it's true."

"Sure, and I'll probably turn into a werewolf the next full moon."

"Like, please don't say that, Sherman. I've heard enough creepy things this morning,"

"What kind of creepy things?"

"I don't want to say it. It's too freaky…"

"C'mon, tell me! It can't be THAT freaky."

Shaggy took a deep breath. "Alright. …Everyone's talking about some monster braking into the pet store last night!"

Sherman's eyes widened. "You're right. That IS freaky." he began to tremble. "Ooh, ooh, you don't think it'll come around HERE, do you?"

"Like, I hope not. I heard one of the neighbors say it was after a Great Dane, so we'll probably be safe."

Sherman instantly paled. "D-Did you say G-Great D-Dane?"

"Yeah, why?"

He gulped, then motioned Shaggy to come over to the bushes. "Then you may want to take a look at what I found…" He moved the bushes aside. "Look,"

Looking over his friend's shoulder, Shaggy gasped. Lying down, fast asleep, was a Great Dane puppy, brown with three spots on its back. "Zoinks, where'd the dog come from?"

"Y-You don't think it's the s-same one the m-monster was after, do you?"

Shaggy gulped. "Like, if it is, you'd better find a way to ditch it, unless you want to be monster-chow."

Sherman whimpered. "Will you ditch it for me?"

"What? Why me?"

"Because my mom won't let me leave the yard, my dad won't allow me to have pets, and I don't want that monster coming anywhere near me!" he got down on his knees, begging. "Oh, please do it for me, Shaggy! I don't want to get in trouble for keeping a dog in my yard- by the monster AND my parents! Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"

Shaggy sighed. "Alright, but you owe me!"

"Alright… um, how much?"

He thought about it. "How about… the next time you have donuts and ketchup, give me half!"

"Deal!"

The two boys loaded the puppy into Shaggy's newspaper-carrier, which was fortunately large enough for the dog to fit in. "I'll take him to the cops. They can find a way to take care of him,"

"Good idea. Thanks again!"

Shaggy rode off, occasionally looking at the puppy, sighing. _I wonder what a monster would want with a puppy. _he thought. A raindrop hit his arm, and he looked up, seeing the clouds rolling in. "Ah, great…" Riding faster, he reached his garage, just when it started to pour. He picked up the puppy, carrying it over to the corner of the garage where he lied an old blanket down, and set the Great Dane on it. He sat down in front of the pup, sighing. It had been quite a morning for him, and he felt himself dozing off out of exhaustion.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Next chapter, the investigation begins!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	7. Chapter 7: A Couple Suspects

Hello, reads! Here's a new chapter for ya!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Dr fan-mai-lover: **Scooby DOES seem important to the monster… but how we may never know (until later, lol). I'm glad you liked the Speed Buggy cameos, too!

**Stormbringer128: **Like I just finished saying to Dr fan-mai-lover, we may not find out 'til later (I hate to spoil a good mystery). And, no, Sherman isn't related to Shaggy… even though their cowardly personalities are a little similar. The name of the talking car was Speed-Buggy. Glad you like this story so far!

**Tracker78: **You didn't honestly think I'd leave him out of the story, did you? ;) And congrats on your new cousin, Serenity!

**Lady Nightwisp: **Yay, a winning quote! :D …And we all know THAT, lol.

**Brianna: **And it'll KEEP getting better and better! ;)

**RussM: **Perfect analogy. Glad you like it!

**Looneytunecrazy: **I'm a fan of anything that was made in the '90s and before. And I WILL put that in! (thank you for bringing it up, it nearly slipped my mind).

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo or any other meddlers… just when I thought life couldn't be any more sadder.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daphne- as she promised- marched down to the pet store to survey the damage (after purchasing a dozen pairs of new shoes), pausing when she saw the smashed door, news-crew, and police-tape. _Okay, so things look pretty bad… But that doesn't mean it's the work of a monster. _She told herself as she walked through the crowd of people that stood behind the tape, watching as a Rescue team carried a few frightened animals toward their van to take to their clinic. _Anyone could have smashed through a door… and scared a few poor animals. _

"This is Ashley Summers, live with a report of what appears to be another vicious attack on a pet-store, undoubtedly caused by the Pet-Store Prowler," The newswoman was saying, then turned to the store-owner. "Mr. Monroe, tell us- in detail- about the Prowler's break-in."

"I-I don't know how to describe it," Mr. Monroe replied. "I was just locking up for the night when I heard a crash. I ran back in, seeing a large, hairy creature lurking toward my last pup. I tried to fend it off, but it knocked me into the hamster-cages and chased the puppy out of the store. …I would've gone after it or called the cops sooner, but one of the hamsters shimmied down the back of my shirt."

"I understand the escaped puppy is a Great Dane. Would it happen to be one of the Doo Dane pups?"

"Indeed it is, the only one that wasn't able to be sold. With all the talk about how rare the puppies are, I would've expected someone to have adopted him the first day I got him…"

Just then, a white limo pulled up to the curve, and a man with tan skin, blonde hair, wearing a tan snazzy suit and oval-sunglasses stepped out and up to Mr. Monroe. "Heard the news this morning. Place ain't holding up so well, I take it?" The man asked, smiling with his pearly-whites.

Mr. Monroe sneered. "What do YOU want, O'Rally?"

"Just came by to see what the damage was. Such a shame to have that monster breaking into your store. I bet you wish you had sold it to me, now, don't you?"

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am NOT giving you my store!"

"I don't see why not. All the other pet-shops already gave in to the O'Rally Pet Shop Industry. I'm willing to increase my last offer by double, and give you 10,000 dollars for your store."

"And I'll give you the answer I gave last time: NO. Now, get outta here, and don't let me catch you near my store again!"

O'Rally huffed, then turned on his heel and sat back down in the back of his limo. "You're making a big mistake, Monroe!" With that, he drove off.

_Interesting… _Daphne thought, rubbing her chin. _A so-called monster trashes the store, and all of a sudden a man shows up willing to buy it. I wonder… _She turned back to the store, seeing something peculiar inside it.

Freddy.

_What the…? How'd THAT goof-ball get past the cops? _She thought. Sneaking under the yellow tape and into the store, she approached Freddy, grabbing him by the elbow. "What are you doing in here?" she asked him in a harsh whisper.

"Me? What are YOU doing in here?" Freddy demanded.

"I came in here to ask what you're doing in here! Don't you know how much trouble you'd be in if the cops caught you messing around at the crime scene?"

"Ah, but I'm NOT messing around!" Freddy then donned a Sherlock Holmes outfit, holding up a magnifying glass. "I'm here searching for clues that'll lead me to the Pet-Shop Prowler. A monster as huge as that HAD to have left a trace somewhere…"

Daphne slapped her forehead. "Freddy, there's no such thing as monsters, namely ones that go around robbing pet stores! I think it's all fake… and take off that silly outfit. You look more tackier than usual!"

"What makes you think it's fake? Do you have proof?"

Daphne became thoughtful. "Well… I DID see some classy guy talking to Mr. Monroe about buying his store, so I think there might be a connection."

"Speaking of connections, I think I've found something!" Freddy bent down and picked up a thick, golden necklace with diamond studs. "It must be a clue!"

Daphne gave him a deadpanned look. "Why would a monster wear jewelry?"

"Take a better look." Freddy handed the necklace to Daphne to examine, and that's when she noticed it wasn't a necklace, but a collar instead. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Daphne, but I don't think Mr. Monroe carries pet-supplies THIS expensive."

"You're right… But that still doesn't explain why a monster would be carrying it."

"Well, lets think… It broke into the store, went after a puppy, left behind a jeweled collar… I've got it! It's obviously a high-class monster that's looking for the right kind of guard-dog to protect it's castle!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Freddy, sometimes I believe your mind was re-wired at birth."

Freddy's eyes widened. "Hey, that was my theory when I was seven! I believe that I knew something so important, it would endanger not only my life, but the fate of all humanity, and the doctors were forced to put me through brain-surgery to hide that information!"

She shook her head. "Why do I even bother? …Look, Freddy, there's gotta be a more LOGICAL explanation. That man, O'Rally, said he had bought all the other pet-stores nearby, and kept urging Mr. Monroe to sell his shop. There's gotta be a link between him and the monster-"

"Hey! What are you two kids doing in here?" A gruff voice snapped, and Daphne and Freddy soon found themselves being shooed out by an officer. "Move along, kids. You'll have to do your pet-shopping elsewhere!"

"Sheesh, people don't know a good detective when they see one…" Freddy grumbled.

"So, 'Sherlock', do you have any OTHER 'bright' ideas about the case?" Daphne asked him as they walked.

Freddy rubbed his chin. "Well, there is ONE other theory I have in mind, but I'd like to find more clues before I jump to conclusions. …By the way, what were you doing at the store?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously you didn't just walk down there to see me…" he gave her a witty look. "Or DID you?"

"Ew, gross! Don't be ridiculous! I only went down there to find evidence that the Pet-Shop Prowler isn't real! Sheesh!" she then trudged off, muttering. "Does EVERYONE assume he and I are a couple?"

Freddy scoffed. "Good luck with THAT theory," he looked at the collar in his hand. "In the meantime, I think it's time to take my detective skills to the next level."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Shaggy slowly opened his eyes, seeing the gray-walls of his garage, hearing the light drops of rain outside. _Huh, I must have fell asleep, _he thought, sitting up and yawning. Next to him, the Great Dane puppy awoke, yawning and stretching…

Then said something Shaggy never thought would ever come out of a dog's mouth: "What's for reakfast?"

"Like, ZOINKS! A talking dog!" Shaggy yelped.

The puppy looked around, shocked. "Ralking rog? Where?"

"O-Okay, boy, take it easy… J-Just t-tell me what you want, and I'll get it… please, don't hurt me!"

"Uh… r'okay."

"A-Are you hungry? I think we have leftovers in the fridge…"

The puppy's face lit up and his tail began to wag rapidly. "R'oh boy! Rood!"

_He sure seems eager to eat… then again, who wouldn't? _Shaggy thought. "Okay, I'll go find you something. Just wait here," With that, he walked into his house to the kitchen. _Like, wow, I have a talking dog in my garage!_

The puppy sat and waited for him, his stomach rumbling. An aroma floated through the air just then, igniting the puppy's smell, and he recognized it immediately: Waffles. Unable to resist, he allowed his nose to lead him through the air, following the scent of fresh-baked waffles and syrup, until he found himself in the kitchen, where he saw a woman preparing them, a fresh stack already on a plate. Licking his lips, the puppy went over to the counter.

Shaggy- who was ducked inside the fridge at the moment- had his arms full of various foods… which he dropped, yelping as he spotted the puppy near the counter next to his mom! _Oh, no, if Mom sees that I brought a dog into the house, she'll hit the roof… maybe Mars if she finds out he can talk! _he thought in paranoia, and quickly ran over, grabbed the puppy, and hid him under the table.

"Norville? Is that you?" His mother asked him.

"Norville? Ree hee hee hee!" The puppy snickered.

"Like, yeah, Mom! (stay down, boy!)" Shaggy replied, trying to appear innocent while keeping the puppy quiet.

"Doggy! Doggy!" Shaggy's little sister, Sugie, squealed as she looked under the table, reaching out of her high-chair to grab him.

"Shh! Quiet, sis, or you'll blow our cover."

"What was that?" His mother asked.

"Uh, nothing Mom! (ahem) What's for breakfast?"

"I made a fresh batch of buttermilk waffles, with homemade maple syrup, powdered sugar, and strawberries on top."

Under the table, the puppy was practically drooling. Once Shaggy's mother placed a batch of waffles in front of her son, the puppy couldn't contain his hunger any longer. Tapping Shaggy on the shoulder with his tail and making him look in the other direction, the puppy popped up and- in one bite- ate the waffles off his plate! Sugie laughed, while Shaggy looked at his empty plate in confusion. Underneath the table, the puppy sighed in satisfaction.

"My, you're really hungry this morning, aren't you?" His mother gave him a second batch. "Just be sure to save some for the rest of us, okay?"

"Like, I'm not even sure if I'm saving some for myself!" Shaggy replied, sticking all the waffles on his fork and preparing to eat them, but the puppy popped up and ate them before he could! "What the…?"

Sugie giggled. "Silly puppy," she said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"That oughtta do it," Tinker said, giving his wrench one last twist, then wiped the oil off his hands. "It should run like a dream now. Thanks for your help, Velma."

"Anytime," Velma replied, wiping a smudge off the lens of her glasses, then looked outside, seeing that the rain was clearing up. "Now that the rain's stopped, I should be on my way."

"Hold it. Don't you want to help me test it, first?"

"I don't know. I have something I need to do…"

"Please, Velma? It would be an honor if you were my co-driver. It's the least I can do for you helping me with it."

Velma shrugged. "Well, alright. A good test-run would be a good idea for a prototype. It'll also be a quick way to get to the pet store."

"Then, strap on your helmet and hop on, missy! We're going on a ride!" Both of them stood on the skateboard, Tinker holding on to the handle on the motor (which Velma suggested would be useful for steering), while Velma stood in front, both of them putting on helmets, elbow pads, and knee pads. "Hold on tight!" He then twisted the handle, revving up the motor-

*VROOOOM!*

Quicker than a heartbeat, they shot out of the garage, practically flying down the street! "JINKIIIIIEEEEESSS!" Velma screamed, her cheeks flapping in the wind due to the speed. Up ahead, they raced past a supermarket's parking lot. "LOOK OUT!"

"Yow!/Whoop!/Augh!/Hey!" People shouted, diving out of the way to avoid being run-over.

"Sorry about that!" Tinker called to them.

Velma looked ahead, and gasped. "Tinker! Look out! There's a pot-hole up ahead!"

"What?"

"I said there's a pot-hole up ahead! Slow down!"

"I can't hear you over the engine! What did you say?"

"HIT THE BRA-!"

*THUMP!*

"WAUGH!" Tinker and Velma shouted after hitting the speed-bump, flying through the air. The skateboard hit the ground, still rolling, and Velma landed on it.

…Tinker, however, landed in a rose-bush. "Oof!" he grunted, then gasped when he saw the runaway skateboard, Velma still on it. "Velma! Hold on, wait for me!"

"How do you s-s-steer t-t-this t-t-thing?" Velma cried, her voice shaking when the skateboard rode across a bumpy sidewalk. Grabbing the handle, she tried to get control of it, steering left and right, trying to avoid people and other obstacles. She got the hang of it after a few turns, and had complete control over it, able to maneuver it however she pleased. "Huh! Not so bad once you get the hang of it." She flew over a skateboard ramp. "Woo-hoo!"

"Slow down, Vel- wow, that girl knows how to ride!"

"Yeah!" Velma steered left and right, going in zigzags, enjoying the ride…

Up until the engine ran out of gas and the skateboard slowed to a halt. Tinker caught up with her, out of breath. "Boy howdy, Velma! (huff huff) You sure know (pant pant) know how to cruise down the street! (wheeze)"

Velma blushed, stepping off the skateboard. "Heh heh, sorry about that, Tinker. I was enjoying the ride so much that I forgot I was low one passenger."

"Sorry, nothing! Remind me to get tips from you when I enter a racecar derby! Plus, ya'll managed to get where you needed."

Velma looked over, seeing the pet-store… along with a few cops and a smashed door. "Jinkies… so there WAS an attack on the store!"

"Golly, look at the mess! The Pet-Shop Prowler sure hit this place hard."

Velma then whipped out a magnifying glass, surveying the scene. "Interesting…"

"What're you doing?"

"Checking out the scene, and look at this…" she picked up a patch of fur, caught in the destroyed door. "The monster happened to leave a piece of itself behind… though, it doesn't seem to belong to any particular species."

"Velma, it's a MONSTER. Monsters don't necessarily have a specific species,"

"Still… I'm going to analyze this. Maybe it'll lead to an explanation for the attack-"

"The only 'explanation' there is, is that Monroe got what he deserved!" A voice sneered, and Velma turned around, seeing a girl with brunette hair, wearing a pink shirt with a purple skirt, her hair done up in a high-ponytail tied back by a pink scrunchie.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Missy Misterson, richest girl in Coolsville."

"But I thought Daphne Blake was the richest," Tinker spoke up. Missy glared at him, and he stepped back.

"Blake may THINK she's on top, but she's only like that because her dad joined up with mine. My family was the richest first, before SHE came to town and our fathers became business partners in an oil refinery. My father made an investment in a company in Mexico, even though HER father thought it was a bad idea…"

"And it turned out to be a bad idea after all, right?" Another glare, and Tinker ducked behind Velma.

"True, the investment wasn't quite a wise move, but if there's one thing my daddy told me about investments it's that they always come around later in life. And once that happens, Daphne Blake will be second-best!"

"Um… what does this have to do with Mr. Monroe?" Velma asked, finding the conversation unsettling.

"Nothing. I just like to have people know the REAL story behind the Blakes. …Anyway, Mr. Monroe got what was coming to him. He was supposed to share 50% of his store's profit with my father, since he basically helped him open the store in the first place. But, after claiming that 'he did most of the work and my dad didn't lift a finger', he called off the deal." Missy then clenched her fists. "And now, Mr. Monroe's shop- being SO popular- keeps raking in the dough, while my parents were forced to get actual… um, what is it called where you have to work to earn money, again?"

"A job?"

"Ugh, yeah, one of THOSE things. …So, since that greedy pet-shop owner cut my dad off and kept him from keeping our luxurious estate, I've been waiting for the day where karma got back at him! It wouldn't be surprising if the Pet-Shop Prowler ruined his business, and made HIM know what it's like to be poor!"

"But, Missy, your family's not poor. You're just middle-class!" Tinker pointed out.

"And, if I'm correct, pet-shop owners don't exactly make enough to be millionaires, so I believe your story is a bit over-exaggerated." Velma said, punching some numbers into her computer.

"And I thought you just got mad at him because he already sold that goldfish you wanted back in second-grade."

"Do you honestly think I'd make this up? I'm telling you, Mr. Monroe gets what he deserves, and I'll be happy when he's living on the street curb!" Missy snapped, then turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Boy, you can actually SEE the steam coming out of her ears," Tinker commented.

"She must really hate Mr. Monroe, if she's holding a grudge like that." Velma said, rubbing her chin. "And I mean _really _hate…" She looked at the piece of fur she had in her hand, then put in a plastic bag. "I think I'll head home, and analyze this."

"Cool. I'm going to take my motorized skateboard back to the garage, and make an adjustments on the breaks."

With that, the two kids separated, and all the way home Velma couldn't stop thinking about Missy's grudge and the monster attack, wondering if they somehow fit together.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"You're STILL hungry?" Shaggy's mom questioned, hands on hips. "You just had four servings of waffles!"

"Like, believe it or not, Mom, I feel like I haven't eaten any." Shaggy replied, knowing too-true it was.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Norville, but I ran out of batter. You'll have to wait 'til lunch to eat anymore."

Shaggy groaned, then- grabbing the puppy by the collar- snuck out of the kitchen, dragging the pooch back into the garage. "Alright, pup, lets get something straight. First of all, you owe me four-servings of waffles! Second, no more snatching food off other people, including me! And third, unless you want to go back out and face that monster alone, you have to be quiet!"

"Ronster? Rikes!" The puppy yelped, leaping into the boy's arms and shaking. "Ron't rend me rack out there!"

"Whoa, take it easy, boy! I won't send you back out there when there's a monster on the loose! I meant my mom won't let me have any pets until I prove how 'responsible' I am. If she catches me sneaking you around, she'll toss you out… and make me toss my cookies, as mad as she can get."

"Responsible?"

"That's where you have to prove you're trustworthy, able to handle your own actions, and take good care of something." His face then lit up. "Hey, wait a minute! Maybe if I help you out with your problem, Mom will see me as responsible!"

"Rou rink?"

"Sure! I could take you down to the police station and tell them about your monster-problem. We get everything settled, and I get to have a new pet!"

The puppy's eyes lit up. "R'oh boy! R'oh boy!"

"…I wonder if she'd let me get a gerbil."

The puppy's face fell. "R'oh, brother…"

"Well, c'mon! Lets get down to the police station and tell them about your problem, um…" Shaggy paused, then looked at the pup. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Do you have one?"

"Ruh-huh. Scoobert Doo."

Shaggy had to stifle a laugh. "Scoobert? What kind of dog-name is 'Scoobert'?"

"Rhat rind of rame is 'Norville'?"

Shaggy paused. "Touché. Hmm, I guess before we go anywhere, we ought to change your name- that way, not only will the monster have a harder time finding you, but it'll also save the embarrassment if you run into him! A lot of creeps like to use an embarrassing name as a weakness. …Believe me, I know."

"Rut I rike my rame."

"Alright, how about a nickname, then? You got three spots on your back, how about 'Spot'?" The puppy grimaced, and the boy shook his head. "Nah, too common. What about Scruff?" The puppy stuck his tongue out. "You're right. Lame. Plus, you don't look much like the 'Scruff' type… Sheesh, there's gotta be SOME name, better than 'Scoobert'."

There was giggling then, and Sugie crawled into the garage. "Puppy!" she squealed.

"Zoinks! Sugie!" Shaggy rushed over and grabbed his baby-sister. "You can't be out here! And keep it down. If Mom finds out I'm hiding a dog in here…"

"Puppy! Puppy!" Sugie only reached over and patted the puppy on the head.

"R'aw, row rute." The puppy said, tickling her under the chin.

"Oh, right. Scoobert, this is Sugie, my little sister. Sugie, this is (snicker) Scoobert. I'm trying to help him out with a monster problem."

"Sc-Scoob…" Sugie said, trying to pronounce the pup's name. Being an infant, she was having trouble, so the name came out a tad different: "Scooby!"

"Scooby?" Shaggy said, chuckling, then turned to the puppy. "Sorry, she's still learning how to pronounce everyone's names."

"R'ey, I ron't rink it's roo bad." The puppy said with a shrug.

"Yeah… It sounds better than 'Scoobert', anyway." Shaggy then snapped his fingers. "Say, what if we just called you 'Scooby', then? Scooby Doo! Kind of has a ring to it, don't you think?"

The puppy's tail wagged. "Reah! Reah! Rooby Doo!"

Shaggy took his little sister back into the house. "Alright, Sugie, I gotta take 'Scooby' to the police… and don't say a word!"

"Scooby!" Sugie repeated, giggling.

Shaggy slapped his forehead. "Never mind… C'mon, Scoob!"

"Rou rot it… Rorville." Scooby replied, chuckling.

"That reminds me. Since we're going by nicknames, you can call me 'Shaggy'."

"R'okay."

Together, Shaggy and Scooby ran down the sidewalk to the police station… not knowing that a shadowed figure was watching them from afar.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Alright, so we got a couple of suspects, a couple of clues, yet there's still a few questions left unanswered: Is the monster real, or will Daphne's theory be correct? Who does the golden collar belong to? Will Velma ever go on a motorized-skateboard joyride again? And what kind of mishap will Shaggy and Scooby find themselves in next?

…Meh. Just review. I except constructive criticism.


	8. Chapter 8: Creep Alert!

I'd like to open this next chapter with an apology. I haven't been updating day-by-day like I used to because I've not only been busy with babysitting, but also lacking inspiration. I may only be able to update only once a week, as busy as I've been, but you can guarantee that I won't leave this story hanging! So, without further ado, here is the next chapter.

Also, just so no one falls behind, here is the suspect list:

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson: **Wants revenge against Mr. Monroe for not sharing profit with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally: **Wants to buy the shop from Mr. Monroe and add it to his list of pet-stores bought in the past.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**ALW: **So glad you love it! Here's the next chapter for you!

**Looneytunecrazy: **Yep, gotta love the Scooby and Shaggy friendship ^-^

**StormBringer128: **Thank you. And, yeah, I'm eager to write that quote too! (one of my top 5 favorite quotes of all time) If there ever was an episode where no one said that, it obviously wasn't Scooby-Doo. …And your theory could be correct, but we'll see ;)

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Glad you liked Tinker's cameo, and I do plan on putting in other Hanna-Barbara (plus a couple Ruby-Spears) cartoons. I hope I don't single out Scooby… There are some more suspects to come (I like to keep readers guessing), and I'm happy all the characters are well-written : )

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **I haven't been able to watch the new SD Mystery Incorporated, but when I heard about that episode I've wanted to watch it!

**Lady Nightwisp: **I'll admit, your review made me blush (was my writing really that good?) …And I noticed a couple old Scooby-Doo episodes where Scooby sometimes pronounced his name the same way, but I confess I wasn't paying much attention to all of his dialogue and accidentally wrote it differently :p Thanks for being honest, anyway.

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **You'll find out ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo or any other meddlers. …Confound it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was as if fate had something in mind for all the kids that day…

Velma was walking down the street back to her house to examine the piece of fur she found in the door-way, studying it in the plastic zip-lock bag. _It doesn't appear to come from any wild animal, and definitely doesn't come from human. _She was thinking. _Unless that 'Pet-Shop Prowler' actually turns out to be real, I'd say that this fur is actually-_

"Oof!" she grunted when someone bumped into her, and she looked up to see a blonde haired boy, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, blue pants, and an orange ascot around his neck. "Oh, excuse me, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's okay, no harm done," The boy replied, then looked at her curiously. "Say, you're the new girl! I haven't gotten a chance to meet you," he stuck out his hand, helping her up. "I'm Freddy Jones."

"Velma Dinkley." she then noticed Freddy was holding something. "What's that?"

"This? It's just a clue I found by Mr. Monroe's store." he held it up, showing it was a golden-jeweled collar. "I figure the creature left it behind, knowing that Monroe doesn't carry merchandise THIS classy."

"What would the monster want with a collar?"

"I figure it probably wants its own pet, which would explain why it went after the puppy, too." he then looked at the bag Velma was holding. "What's with the bag?"

"Well, as it turns out, I found something at the crime-scene as well." she showed Freddy the patch of fur. "I found this hair stuck in the doorway, thinking maybe the monster lost a bit of its fur after breaking through the door."

"Wow, that's hard evidence," Freddy began to rub his chin, and I swear you could SEE a light bulb appear over his head. "Hey, why don't we work together? Both of us already found a couple of clues. If we team up, we could catch that monster in no time!"

"IF it really is a monster. I just saw a girl by the store, and I couldn't help but notice she had a grudge against Mr. Monroe…"

"Daphne and I just saw a guy at the store a few minutes ago, saying he wanted to buy the store! …What do you think it means?"

"It means, there's probably more to this 'monster' than we think. C'mon, we can examine the clues at my house. I have a microscope in my room…"

"Or we could hit the library, it's just down the block. They have microscopes we could use,"

A library! Ever since Velma moved to the town, she was pondering about what kind of book-based establishments it promised, and she couldn't help but smile at Freddy's suggestion. "Sounds like a good idea. I've been meaning to visit a library, anyway."

"Then lets go." Together, they walked down the block.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Shaggy and Scooby walked down the street toward the police station, and it wasn't more than three steps when the boy's stomach began to growl. "Man, am I starving," he said, holding his stomach, and gave the puppy a glance. "If only I had BREAKFAST this morning…"

*Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling*

Their ears perked up at the tune, and they looked over, seeing the ice-cream truck drive by. "Rice-cream!" Scooby exclaimed, his tail wagging.

"You read my mind!" Shaggy said. "What say we grab ourselves a couple frozen-treats to snack on while we head to the cops?"

"Rou read ry rind!"

Together, the two raced after the ice-cream truck… while a strange figure followed them as well.

Halfway down the block, they caught up to the truck and stood by the window. "Two triple-berry hot-fudge banana-blasts, please." Shaggy said to the woman in the truck.

"Hear you go," the ice-cream woman said, handing the boy two ice-cream bars. "That'll be two dollars."

Shaggy felt his pockets, realizing he didn't have any cash on him. "Like, I'm broke. Hey, Scoob, you got any money on you?"

Scooby felt around his fur. "Ruh… rope." he replied, then turned to a man behind them. "Rhat about rou?"

"Here," The man said, his voice deep yet scratchy, as he handed the puppy two dollars.

"Ranks. Rere, Raggy."

Shaggy grabbed the money. "Thanks. Here you go-"

The two of them froze just then, turning around to get a better look at the man behind them. He was tall, wearing a black long-coat with a fedora hat, had a long pointed nose, a glass eye, and appeared to be in his sixties. "I've been looking for you…" he said, grinning and showing that he had a gold tooth on the top row, and was missing one on the bottom.

Scooby and Shaggy turned completely white at his appearance. "YEOW!" They both cried, running off.

"Hey, you forgot your ice-cream!" The ice-cream woman called to them.

Scooby ran back and grabbed the ice-cream. "Rank rou." he said, then took off again.

"Hey! Come back here!" The man shouted, running after them.

"Like, hurry Scooby! He's gaining on us!" Shaggy yelped.

They ran through the doorway of a building, running out the doorway of a different building next to it, then down an alley, cutting to the other side of the block and disappearing around the corner. The man pursued, coming around the corner, only to see a man reading the paper while a shoe-shine polished his shoes. The mysterious man scowled, then turned around and left.

…Not knowing that the man behind the paper was actually Shaggy, and the shoe-shine was actually Scooby. "Boy, that was close," Shaggy said, sighing with relief. "It's a good idea we took a short-cut through the dry-cleaners and found these outfits, eh Scoob?"

"Reah, reah." Scooby agreed.

"Hey!" A man shouted at them, wearing nothing but briefs and an under-shirt. "Give me back my clothes, you little punks!"

"Like, I think our suit-rental just expired!" Shaggy said, and he and Scooby fled once again, right out of the borrowed clothes. "C'mon, buddy, we'd better get to the police before we run into anyone else!"

*WHAM!*

…Too late.

Shaggy and Scooby were in such a haste, they weren't paying attention to where they were running, and ran smack-dab into Daphne. "Ow! Geez, watch where you're going, Rogers! You almost broke my face!" she snapped, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Sorry, Daph, we didn't mean to crash into you." Shaggy apologized. "We just had to get away from some creep!"

"'We'?"

"Reah, 'we'." Scooby said.

"AUGH!" Daphne jumped back. "Did that dog just… speak?"

"Yeah, it shocked me the first time, too." Shaggy replied, patting Scooby on the head. "No need to worry, though. He's a pretty nice pup," he then leaned over and whispered to her. "Just don't let him near your food."

"Where did you find him?"

"My friend, Sherman, found him in his yard this morning. I'm taking him to the police, now,"

"The police? Why?"

"Because, he's a Great Dane, the same kind of dog that was being chased by the *gulp* monster,"

"Reah, the rame rind!" Scooby added, shaking.

"Well, pup, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's no such thing as monsters." Daphne said. "Whatever chased you was obviously a fake. …Speaking of 'chase', you said you were trying to get away from some creep. Who was it?"

"I have no idea. Scooby, here, and I were just getting some ice-cream, some weirdo popped up behind us, and started chasing us down the block!" Shaggy replied.

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Like, how could I forget? He was tall, wore all-black, had a freaky glass-eye, and a gold tooth… and was missing one."

Daphne cringed. "Yeesh, no wonder you ran. His fashion-sense sounds creepy enough!" she then rubbed her chin. "I wonder if he could be behind all this 'monster' nonsense…"

"He's got the role down, if that's what you mean."

"C'mon, I'll go with you to the police, and we'll get this settled." Together, they began walking down the block. "By the way, why did you call the puppy 'Scooby'?"

"He came with the name. Scooby. Scooby Doo."

Daphne's eyes widened. "Scooby _Doo_? As in, once of the Doo Dane Pups?"

"Ruh-huh, ruh-huh." Scooby answered, nodding.

"Doo Dane Pups? What are you talking about?" Shaggy asked.

"You've never heard of the Doo Danes?"

"Not until you brought it up. Who are they?"

"The Doo Danes are some high-class breeds, who inherited a mansion after their master died. Their fortune was starting to shrink, because their stocks were starting to plummet, and the two Doo Danes were forced to sell their four puppies. Three of them got adopted… and it looks like you just found the fourth."

Shaggy turned to Scooby, eyes wide. "You never told me you were upper-class!"

"Rou rever asked." Scooby replied with a shrug.

"So… whatever happened to his parents?"

"Well, their stocks started to increase again and they got their fortune back."

Shaggy arched an eyebrow. "Say, wait a minute… How do you know all this?"

"My parents met Scooby's parents at the Country Club last summer. They really miss their puppies,"

"I riss 'em roo," Scooby said, weeping.

Daphne rubbed him behind the ear. "Aw, I'm sorry, Scooby. …Hey, maybe if we take you to the police, we can find out where your parents are! I'm sure they live in town, somewhere."

Scooby's eyes lit up. "Really! Roo-hoo!" he then slurped her face. "Rank rou, rank rou, RANK rou!"

Daphne wiped her face. "Yech! Next time you thank me, make sure it's more dry!"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Lets get the cops!" Shaggy said.

They began running down the block, coming to the police station… stopping dead in their tracks when they saw the mysterious man out front, talking with a couple officers. "Ruh oh…" Scooby gulped.

"Like, that's him… that's the man who was chasing us!"

"C'mon, we'd better hide before he spots us." Daphne said, then pulled them up a flight of steps. "Quick, in here!"

They ran into the library… and that's when everything took a different turn.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Who was the mysterious man and why was he chasing Shaggy and Scooby? Will the kids ever find out why the monster is after Scooby? What creeps will they run into next?

Please review to find out. Flame to get your underwear set on fire.


	9. Chapter 9: Odd Information

Hey, readers! Just thought I'd update before my week got busy again.

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge against Mr. Monroe for not sharing profit with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants to buy Mr. Monroe's store to add to his collection of purchased pet-shops.

**Mystery Man- **Stalking Scooby and Shaggy, for reasons unknown.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **Ooh, good guess, but you're a little off.

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **That they are… and they'll meet more than each other ;)

**Blackmoondragon1415: **That's the most popular motive, isn't it? The mystery man's role shall remain unknown, until the mystery is solved. And, yay!

**Lady Nightwisp: **Lol, going back for the food and disguising themselves are Shaggy and Scooby's specialties XD And THANK YOU for pointing that out! I knew it wasn't telescopes and 'microscopes' was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't think of the right word. Your nit-picking is serving a great purpose for my story : )

**Looneytunecrazy: **'Enjoying' is quite an understatement :p …I'm glad you liked the ice-cream scene (apparently everyone does)! …What does 'cyte' mean? And yes, it wasn't surprising that Daphne knew Scooby's parents, huh?

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo or any other meddlers… and now my week got worse.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Velma stood on a chair, looking at the patch of fur underneath a microscope, while Freddy looked around the bookshelves for a book on monsters. On the other side of the building, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby wandered around, keeping ducked behind the shelves to avoid being spotted by the mysterious man, in case he had seen them come in.

"You know, while we're in here, we might as well find something to help us find out more about the Pet-Shop Prowler," Daphne whispered.

"Like, find out information about a monster… in a _library_?" Shaggy scoffed. "What kind of crazy idea is that?"

"Reah, razy!" Scooby agreed.

"The library keeps old newspapers around," Daphne said, matter-of-factly. "Meaning there may be a few about the monster. I'm going to go check,"

"Alright, you go do that, and we'll be in the comic-book section," Shaggy said. "C'mon, Scoob,"

Daphne rolled her eyes. While walking, she spotted a familiar face. "Hey, there's that new girl again. …What is she looking at?"

"Interesting…" Velma kept saying to herself, zooming in on the clue.

Freddy, in the meantime, had found a comic-book labeled, 'Myths and Legends: Monsters and How They Came to Be'. "Bingo," he said, grabbing the book and tugging on it… but someone else tugged back. "Huh?" he kept pulling, fighting for the comic. "Hey, c'mon! Let go!"

"Like… (grunt) I think this book… is stuck!" Shaggy was saying to Scooby on the other side of the shelf.

"R'I'll help," Scooby said, grabbing onto Shaggy's shirt and pulling.

With a mighty pull, Freddy pried the book from the shelf- bring Shaggy and Scooby with! "YOW!" they all cried.

*THUD!*

"Shush!" The librarian hissed at them.

"Sorry," they whispered.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Freddy asked Shaggy, then noticed Scooby. "And where'd you find the dog?"

"Rog? Where?" Scooby asked, looking around.

"Scooby? He's the pup that was being chased by the monster." Shaggy replied. "We were on our way to the police station, but some creepy guy chased after us, then ended up waiting for us outside the building! We ran in here to hide… and find a few comic-books."

Freddy looked at the comic-book in his hand. "I take it you're also looking for information on the Pet-Shop Prowler?" he guessed, holding it up.

"Like, zoinks!" Shaggy jumped into Scooby's arms once again, quivering at the monsters on the cover of the comic book. "I thought that was the new _Commander Cool _issue, not some nightmare-filled graphic-novel!"

"It's not that bad. It's actually full of info on how to catch monsters," He opened the comic, flipping through the pages. "This issue is actually has a monster that looks like the Pet-Shop Prowler- greasy brown fur, yellowed long sharp fangs, black claws, bright red eyes… hey, are you guys okay?"

Shaggy and Scooby had paled at the description. "Uh, if you don't mind, Freddy, could you keep the horrifying details to yourself, please?"

"Reah, retty please?" Scooby added.

"Fine, but you're both missing out on- wait, did the dog just talk?" Freddy ask.

Scooby rolled his eyes. "Rah, reesh! Roes everyone reak out rabout a ralking rog?"

Freddy blinked. "I didn't understand a single word he said."

Scooby then slapped his forehead. "Ruh, brother…"

Back with Velma, she was now scanning the shelves, until she found the book she was looking for. Flipping through it, she found a page that showed a description of the fur she was studying. "Silky smooth… easily shedding…" she was reading, while walking back to the microscope. "I think I've finally figured it ou-"

*Bump!*

Velma wasn't watching where she was going, and collided with someone… her glasses falling off in the process. "Sorry about that!" she then began to feel around, but couldn't find her glasses anywhere. "Oh, great… My mom's going to kill me if I lose my glasses again!"

"Here you go," A voice said, and Velma noticed a faint blur holding something out to her.

She grabbed her glasses, slipping them back on. "Jinkies, thanks-" she began to say, but paused, seeing who stood in front of her.

It was the kid who always had a hood covering his head, the 'silent bully' everyone was talking about, and the one who never spoke… until now. Without another word, he turned and began walking off.

Velma stood up and began running after him. "Hey, wait! I want to talk to you-"

He held up his hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't. Follow. Me." he said sternly, then went on his way.

She watched him go, then noticed he had dropped something, a small piece of paper. Bending down to pick it up, she began to read it, but her investigation was interrupted: "Have an interesting conversation?" She turned around to see Daphne standing behind her.

"Excuse me?" Velma questioned.

"The kid in the hood. He's never talked to anyone!" Daphne leaned in close, an excited look on her face. "What did he say? How did his voice sound? Did you get a good look at his face?"

"Um… he just gave me my glasses back, and told me not to follow him… he was whispering, so I didn't hear his voice that well… and no."

Daphne's shoulder's slumped. "Darn it. I thought I'd have something to call the girls about," she then shrugged. "Oh, well. So, what brings you to the library?"

"This," Velma held up the book she had. "I found a piece of fur caught in the pet-store's doorway. I've been studying it under the microscope, and noticed a few extra particles in it. I've looked up its description in this book, and it turns out it's synthetic."

"So, it's faux fur?"

"Right! …How did you know?"

"I have several coats made from the same fabric," Daphne then snapped her fingers. "Which is proof that the monster is fake!"

"Not likely!" A voice boasted, and Freddy stepped up, holding up a comic-book. "I read in this book that the same kind of monster- which deeply resembles the Pet-Shop Prowler- loses all its fur during its shedding-season. To hide its shame, it steals fur from other animals!"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Daphne then walked over to a stand full of old newspapers. "Here's an old article about your so-called monster, and look," she pointed at a black-and-white photograph of the creature, which looked more like a bull-headed, ape-bodied, saber-toothed beast. "Several people who caught a glimpse of the monster found it to have different descriptions." she handed them more articles. "Turns out it has a different appearance each week."

Freddy looked at the creature in the book, sighing. "Alright, so it ISN'T the monster in this book,"

"Exactly-"

"It's THIS one!" Freddy held up a different book, showing a more sinister monster with blue fur, yellow eyes, a large under-bite, and two horns on its head. "This creature has the ability to change into any monster it wants. It's description contains information on what gives it the power to transform, and it includes facts about its fur containing the same particles found in fake fur!"

Velma arched an eyebrow, looking at the comic. "Where do these authors come up with these ideas?" she questioned.

"I still think it's a bunch of nonsense," Daphne scoffed, heading for the door. "The Pet-Shop Prowler is a fake, and I tend to prove it!"

"Well, I say it ISN'T fake, and I'LL prove it!" Freddy retorted, following her. "Right, Velma?"

"Um… I'm just going to stick to my own theories until this investigation is concluded," Velma said meekly, backing away.

"Right!" Freddy and Daphne walked out of the library, glaring at each other. "I'll show you- the monster's real!"

"It's fake! Just wait and see!" Daphne snapped.

With that, they went their separate ways… not noticing Josie and Alan were watching them. "Are they talking about the Pet-Shop Prowler?" Alan wondered.

"Must be, and it appears they have some different ideas about it," Josie said, then looked at Alan. "What do you think, Alan? Do you think it's real, or fake?"

"I don't know… Come to think of it, I wonder what all the other kids think of it?"

Josie snapped her fingers. "Lets put it in the next newsletter! Poll: 'Real or Fake? The Mystery Behind the Pet-Shop Prowler'!"

"Sounds like a fun idea."

Back inside the library, Velma shook her head, then remembered the piece of paper she had found. Unfolding it, she read just a simple sentence:

_Beware the house on Lane 1224_

"Jinkies," she whispered, then stuck the note back in her pocket, having a hunch that it might be a clue.

Shaggy and Scooby, in the meantime, sat on the floor, reading comics. "And in this issue, Commander Cool battles the Swamp Creatures from Planet 82," Shaggy was telling his friend, showing him the comic. "And this is my favorite one. This is where he finds a new sidekick, Mellow Mutt, and battles the Clown Commandos in Mathog City."

"Ooh…" Scooby said in awe, reading all the comics.

Shaggy sighed. "When I was little, I wanted to be like Commander Cool- be a hero, fight crime, have discounts at all the fast-food joints… then I found out one tiny detail."

"What's rat?"

"I'm a chicken." Shaggy picked up all the comics, heading to the check-out counter. "Like, c'mon, we can read more back at my place,"

They stopped dead in their tracks just then, seeing the mysterious man standing at the counter, talking to the librarian, who pointed over at Shaggy and Scooby. He turned around, catching a glimpse of them…

In a heartbeat, Shaggy and Scooby ran out the door, abandoning the comic books, screaming.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Who will be right, Freddy or Daphne? Who is the boy in the hood, and why doesn't he want anyone to go to Lane 1224? Where IS Lane 1224? And will Shaggy and Scooby ever find refuge from the mysterious man?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	10. Chapter 10: Danger Prone

Well, here's another new chapter! Please enjoy. Those of you who don't enjoy need therapy.

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Mr. Monroe for not sharing profit with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store to add to his collection of pet-shop purchases.

**Mystery Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Looneytunecrazy: **Meh, it's okay, we all have our typo-days. And Freddy and Daphne may work something out… eventually… maybe… it depends :p

**Thebieberbabe: **Neat that Freddy reminds you of an old friend, glad I got Daphne's character spot-on (thank you for the nit-pick too), I doubt many people like Alexandra, glad you like the cameos, no one knows how bullies get away with everything, and so glad you're enjoying this story! *pant pant* …Like you catching up with my story, I catch up with your reviews. Hope to hear more from you!

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **Another good guess, but it's something entirely different (you'll find out, soon). And there'll be more Speed Buggy, just you wait ;)

**Lady Nightwisp: **The plot keeps getting thicker and thicker ;)

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **I could not write a Scooby-Doo story where Velma wouldn't lose her glasses! It's a moment too memorable to turn down! :D

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Yep. Leave it to Freddy to have crazy ideas, lol. Glad you like the 'silent bully', and I'll be throwing in a few more hints later to help you guys figure it out ;)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Shaggy and Scooby made it back to the Roger's residence, out of breath and their hearts still racing. They slammed the door shut, locked it with ten different locks, and propped furniture against it. "Like, did he follow us?" Shaggy asked in a whisper.

Scooby looked out the window. "Uh… rope." he replied.

"Whew…" Shaggy slumped down in a chair, wiping his forehead. "Good. I don't think I could take anymore surprises."

"Eeek!" Came a shriek.

"Augh!" The two cowards yelped, then immediately ran back toward the door, throwing the furniture away from it, unlocking all ten locks, then opened it…

Seeing a shadowed figure, standing before them.

"YIKES!" They sped into the living room, splitting up in different directions. Shaggy dove under the couch cushions, while Scooby kept running- knocking over a lamp, over-turning a chair, trying to climb up a bookcase only to end up tipping it over, and jumped onto the couch, making Shaggy fly out of the cushions, roll across the floor, and land in front of two pairs of feet…

…Which, coincidentally, belonged to his parents. "Norville Rogers, what is going on in here?" His father demanded.

"Like, it's a long story," Shaggy replied with a gulp.

"We're listening." His mother said, firmly.

Shaggy sighed. "Alright. It all started with my newspaper route. I found a puppy, who turns out to be the same puppy who a monster was chasing last night, and I tried taking him to the police station, but some creepy guy started stalking us and we took off, crashed into Daphne Blake, hid out in the library where the man found us, and we ran home, barricaded the door just to be safe, heard a shriek, tried to run out the door, saw a shadowed figure, and tried to hide." he panted, out of breath.

His parents just looked at him. "That's it, son. No more late-night snacks before bed," His father replied.

"That shriek came from me, hon." His mother told him. "I just saw a mouse in the kitchen."

"And I happen to be the 'shadowed figure'," His father pointed over to the front door. "Turns out the porch light went out, and needs replaced."

"And just look at this mess!" His mother walked into the living room. "How could one boy possibly destroy an entire room?"

"It wasn't me! It was Scooby!" Shaggy said, defensively.

"Who's Scooby?" His father asked.

Scooby, who happened to be hanging on to an overhead light, suddenly fell, landing on top of Shaggy. "Rello," he said, sheepishly.

Shaggy's parents stared at the puppy in disbelief, then gave their son a hard glance. "Heh heh… so, can I keep him?" Shaggy asked, innocently.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Tinker was working in his garage later that night, working on his motorized skateboard, when he heard a *thud*. "Huh? What was that?" he asked himself, then stepped out of the garage.

The street was deserted, an old newspaper being the only thing that was blowing by. It was all quiet.

Tinker shrugged, then closed the door of his garage. "Probably just some darn-gone cat," he said, walking inside…

Not noticing a large, furry creature run by into the shadows.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The rest of the weekend went by fast for the kids, and soon they were going back to school. Fate was once again messing with them, for Daphne, Freddy, Velma, and Shaggy found themselves waiting at the same bus-stop. Daphne and Freddy avoided gazes, of course, and Shaggy was looking down at the pavement, a solemn look on his face. "So, Velma, did you find out anything else on the monster this weekend?" Freddy asked.

"I'm afraid not. I was going to go back to the pet-store yesterday, but I had to help my parents arrange our furniture in our new house," Velma replied, then looked at Daphne. "Did you have any luck, Daphne?"

"Not really. I had a hair and nail appointment, then got caught in line when I went shopping with my mom, and I had Judo lessons. I hardly had time to think about the case," Daphne replied.

"I've been trying to forget about that monster all weekend," Shaggy said.

"Hey, did you ever manage to get that puppy to the police?" Freddy asked him.

He shook his head. "Nah. I brought him home after we ran off from that creepy guy again. My dad said he'd take him, though." he hung his head low.

"What's wrong?" Velma asked.

Shaggy shrugged. "I guess I sorta got attached to Scooby. I hope he'll be alright,"

"I'm sure he will, Shaggy," Daphne said, patting him on the back.

"Say, Daphne… don't you normally take a limo to school?" Freddy asked.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "My chauffer got the week off."

"By the way, you said you take Judo. How long have you been in that?" Velma asked.

"As long as I can remember. My parents said I should learn self-defense, in case something bad ever happened to me." she looked in her compact mirror. "Like that could ever happen."

The bus arrived and they started walking on…

"WAUGH!"

*Thud!*

…and Daphne tripped over the last step. All the kids laughed. "It's not funny!" she snapped, brushing herself off. "Yeesh, this bus-floor his grimy. Jenkins!"

All of a sudden, a butler ran up beside Daphne. "Yes, Miss Blake?" he asked.

"A wet-cloth, if you'd please."

"Yes, Miss Blake." The butler whipped out a wet-cloth and wiped the grime off of Daphne.

"That'll be all, Jenkins."

"Very well, Miss Blake." And he took off.

All the kids stared in disbelief. "What? Can't a girl have a butler on-call?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

They arrived at school, and as it turns out, they all had a study-hall together in the school library, and Velma spent it studying the piece of paper she found. "Like, what are you looking at?" Shaggy asked, sitting beside her.

"I saw that kid in the hood drop this. It says to keep away from Lane 1224," Velma replied.

Shaggy scratched his head. "Lane 1224? That's Sherman's address! …Why would he tell us not to go there?"

"I don't know… Wait, who's 'Sherman'?"

"Oh, he's a home-schooled kid in town. His parents won't let him come to school, because he has some sort of 'problem'. I see him every Saturday on my newspaper route."

"Do you think we could pay him a visit, later? Maybe he knows something that could help us out,"

"Maybe-"

*CRASH!*

"Oof!" came Daphne's cry, and the kids looked over, seeing that- while in the process of pulling a book off the shelf- she unleashed an avalanche of books, which landed on top of her. "Stupid shelf…" she pulled herself out from the books, then noticed her finger was bleeding. "Eek! Paper cut! Jenkins!"

Jenkins appeared once again. "Yes, Miss Blake?"

"Band-aid, please."

"Of course, Miss Blake." he took out a pink band-aid and wrapped it around her finger.

"Thank you, Jenkins. That will be all,"

"Very well, Miss Blake." And he took off once again.

Shaggy blinked. "Like, I wonder if she can do that with the pizza-guy," he said.

0o0o0o0o0o0

At the end of the day, Daphne walked to her locker, only to find out that the door was stuck. "Stupid locker…"

*Ka-chunk! Bam!*

"Ow!"

The door burst open and smacked her in the face. "Geez, Blake, attracting all sorts of trouble, aren't you?" Alexandra scoffed.

"Yeah, lately you've been running into all sorts of disasters: tripping on the bus, getting buried in books…" Kim began.

"Your project exploding in chemistry…" Debbie added.

"The cafeteria's spinach running off your tray and onto your sweater…" Josie added as well.

"The hamster in English class crawling into your hair…" Melody added.

"Not to mention getting hit by a basketball in P.E." Valerie said.

"From all that's happened today, you might as well admit you're prone to danger," Alexandra said, then smirked. "Say, that would be a good nickname for you. 'Danger-Prone Daphne'!"

Across the hall, a few kids laughed, and most of them started calling her by the name. Daphne started walking down the hall, but the kids kept laughing and pointing at her, most of them chanting "Danger-Prone Daphne!" when she passed by.

"Jenkins…" Daphne groaned.

"Yes, Miss Blake?" Jenkins asked, arriving.

"Be embarrassed, for me."

"Right away, Miss Blake." Jenkins then blushed and covered his face with his hands, groaning. "Oh, my life is OVER!"

"That will do, Jenkins." Daphne sighed, then began walking home. There was a clap of thunder, and it began to rain. "This… is so… typical!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry, Daphne!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	11. Chapter 11: The Monster Strikes Again!

Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his pet-store to add to his collection of pet-shop purchases.

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Shaggy and Scooby for some reason.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Yes, yes it is. And think back to every meddler-based show you've ever seen- have the police done anything? …Nope.

**NewbieCool: **Glad you like my story, and liked Jenkins' quote! *thank yous!*

**Lady Nightwisp: **You got that right.

**Tracker: **You shall find out in time. And take your time with your stories, writing them will help you relax after a busy day (it helps me, at least).

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **Lol, yeah… I just had to throw her into danger-prone situations XD

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **Yeah, I didn't like the movie that much, either. And Alexandra can be pretty mean (it's part of her personality). And I liked those episodes, as well!

**Looneytunecrazy: **I never figured out what their ages were on the show, but after some internet-research, their ages are roughly around the Junior-High area (Velma being a little younger). And that'll be Daphne's SECOND reason in taking Judo-Karate ;) And don't worry, Scooby and Shaggy will be reunited. Thanks again for the danger-prone idea, and I may throw in the 'rescue' idea as well *mischievous smirk* And I have no idea how long this story will be… it may never end O.O (lol jk)

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything. …Stop checking.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Well, this is it." Shaggy said as he and Velma stood on the doorstep in the pouring rain. They had thrown on their rain-coats and brought an umbrella, so not to get drenched on their way to Sherman's house- though, Shaggy wished they had just waited until a sunnier day, feeling tense whenever the thunder rumbled.

They knocked on the door, and a woman with light-brown curly hair opened the door, undoubtedly Sherman's mom. "Oh, hello Norville," she said, surprised to see him. "What brings you all the way out here?" she then noticed Velma. "And who's your friend?"

"I'm Velma Dinkley," Velma replied, introducing herself. "We're here to see Sherman,"

Sherman's mom developed a nervous look on her face. "Um, I'm afraid he's not home right now. He-"

"Hey, Mom. Who's at the door?" Sherman asked, stepping up, then saw Shaggy and Velma. "Oh, hi Shaggy. …Who's your friend?"

"Oh, Sherman! You're back already?"

Sherman scratched his head. "Back? What are you talking about? I didn't go anywhere," he then turned back to Shaggy. "So, what brings you by?"

"We wanted to ask you about-" Shaggy began.

"Hanging out with us!" Velma interrupted.

Sherman's face lit up. "Ooh, ooh! That sounds great!" he exclaimed, then turned to his mom. "Can I Mom? Please? Please? Please?"

His mom rubbed the back of her neck. "Well… I don't know…" she said, worriedly.

"Aw, c'mon, Mom! You never let me hang out with anyone, and I never get to get out of the house, and I only get to see Shaggy on the weekends, and you never let me go to school, the arcade, or anywhere else other kids get to go, and…"

_An Hour Later…_

Shaggy and Velma sat, slouching back-to-back while Sherman continued to complain. "…And then there's that time I was six and wanted a little brother, you said I couldn't have one, and when I asked 'why?' you said it was complicated, and-"

"Alright! Alright! You can go!" His mother snapped, finally giving in. "But, I want you back home before dark, alright?"

"Thanks Mom!" Sherman threw on a raincoat. "Lets go, guys."

"Like, finally," Shaggy replied, then turned to Velma, whispering. "So, how come you wanted him to hang out with us? I thought we were only to ask him about his house!"

"Then we would've looked suspicious around his mom," Velma replied. "It's best if we asked him alone…"

"Ask me what?" Sherman asked.

Velma pulled out the note she found. "Some kid dropped this at the library, warning us to stay away from your house. Any ideas why?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Although…" he began rubbing his chin. "Maybe he knew that puppy came to my house, and figured that monster would probably track it down… That, or it has something to do with that rumor that my family is cursed." he turned to Shaggy. "By the way, Shaggy, did you ever get that puppy to the police?"

"My dad's taking him- did you say your family was c-cursed?" Shaggy asked, trembling.

"Yeah, it's just some legend my grandpa keeps telling us, about how every 400 years- hey, what's that?" he pointed over across the street.

Velma and Shaggy looked over, seeing a large banner hanging on the school-building, reading: "Truth Or Fake? Monster Debate!" A couple of the Chan kids were hanging it, assisted by Debbie and Mark.

"Hey, guys, what's with the banner?" Shaggy asked as they walked over.

"Didn't you hear? Freddy and Daphne started a debate on whether the Pet-Shop Prowler is real or not," Debbie replied. "The whole school got into it, and everyone's taking sides."

"Alan and Josie decided to make it interesting, starting with a poll." Mark replied. "But then they came up with an idea to turn it into a competition: whoever was right gets to choose the theme for this year's school dance, and free tickets to the carnival!"

"Everyone's in a hype about it," Henry Chan said, as he and his brother, Stanley, stepped up. "Some are even thinking about joining in on the investigation and busting the case themselves!"

"Including me!" Stanley exclaimed. "Pop's already on the case, so I figure he could use some extra help."

Henry shook his head. "What makes you think you could catch the monster?" he looked over at his brother, his expression turning to surprise.

Stanley was suddenly wearing a cowboy outfit and fake mustache. "Because, I happen to be the master of disguises! That monster wouldn't suspect a cowboy trying to track it down!"

Henry only slapped his forehead.

"Ooh, ooh, doesn't it seem a little dangerous to be going after a monster?" Sherman asked.

"Not as long as everyone's got a team with them," Debbie said. "Mark and I already decided to work together, and Tinker decided to join in, too."

"He even said something about an invention that could help us find the monster, faster," Mark added.

"C'mon, guys. We still have work to do," Henry said, then turned to Stanley. "And I want to see you out of that outfit!"

Stanley feigned a gasp. "Never before a third date, Henry!" he joked.

"You know what I mean. Just go change!"

Velma, Shaggy, and Sherman continued their way. "Boy, your classmates sure are whacky." Sherman commented. "Going after monsters, putting on disguises… You wouldn't catch ME doing any of that!"

"So, like, now what?" Shaggy asked Velma.

"I think we ought to find Daphne and Freddy." Velma said. "Since they're basically the cause of this investigation-hype, they might be able to help us out. …Maybe we can find that hooded kid again, too, and get some answers out of him."

As they walked, a shadowed figure watched them, then continued its way.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mr. Rogers drove Scooby to the police station as he promised, having put the puppy in a kennel. As they drove, the young Great Dane couldn't help but look out the window of the car, sadly. He had really been hoping that Shaggy's parents would've allowed him to stay, welcoming him into their home and giving him a family of his own at last. He pulled a small heart-shaped picture-frame out from behind his back, which held a photo of him and his two loving parents. He whimpered, a tear forming in his eye- oh, how he missed them, so.

He remembered Daphne bringing up them living somewhere in town, and having a connection to them. Sadly, though, he and Shaggy had lost sight of her at the library, and didn't even think about looking for her once that mysterious man showed up. _Row R'I'll rever see Rom or Rad ragain… _he thought.

"Hey, cheer up, pup." Mr. Rogers said to him, hearing him whimper. "Once we settle things with the police, you'll be back in the pet-store and will be adopted in no time."

Scooby only moaned. He didn't want to go back to the pet-store! He wanted to go home… preferably to Shaggy's. Not only did he develop a small bond with the boy, but he also had a ton of food! He reached behind his back and pulled out a comic book from the library, which he had been hanging on to when the mysterious man showed up, and managed to hang on to. It was an issue where Commander Cool met his sidekick, Mellow Mutt- Shaggy's favorite, he remembered. As he looked through the panels, he let his imagination take over, picturing him and the boy as the two superheroes…

"Whoa!"

*Screeeech!*

*Thud!*

"Roof!" Scooby grunted when the kennel hit the floor, the door snapping open. "What was rat?" he looked out the window…

Seeing the Pet-Shop Prowler standing in front of the car! Mr. Rogers turned the wheel, flooring it and making a U-turn to avoid the monster, but the creature only pursued. Leaping onto a lamp-post, it swung like a gymnast and landed on the hood of the car! "Yow!" Mr. Rogers cried, swerving and hitting a fire hydrant.

The creature ran to the back-seat and tore open the door…

Only to see that the other door was open, and Scooby had made a break for it!

The pup ran as fast as he could, the monster's roar echoing from down the street. He dove into an alley, hiding behind a dumpster while the creature ran straight ahead. Scooby sighed with relief, thankful that he had eluded the creature, and ran out of the alley…

*Wham!*

…only to crash into someone else. "Hey, what the…?" a voice snapped.

Scooby stood up, noticing that he had crashed into a kid wearing a blue hoodie, the hood covering his face. "Roops! Rexcuse me," he apologized, dusting the boy off.

"Yoiks, a talking dog! …Hey, wait a minute. You're that pup that the monster was chasifying after, aren't you?"

"Ruh-huh,"

"I figured so. Mr. Monroe had an ad put in the paper, saying he'd reward anyone who'd returnify ya."

Scooby cocked his head. "Reward?"

"Yeah, weird right? Why would a pet-shop owner be handing out a reward? It's not like he's your owner… is he?"

Scooby shook his head rapidly. "Ruh-uh!"

The kid rubbed his chin. "I didn't think so… You staying anywhere, pup?"

Scooby thought about it, then snapped his fingers. "Raggy!"

"Raggy?"

"Reah, Raggy Rogers."

"Raggy Rogers… Oh, you mean 'Shaggy' Rogers? Tall kid, messy hair, says 'zoinks'?"

"Reah! Reah!"

"You're in luck. I just saw him and a couple other kids walking by the school. I'll takify ya to him. C'mon,"

"Oh, RANK rou!" Scooby licked the boy's face.

"Yech! If you're going to stick around me, lay off the slobber, will ya?"

"Rorry,"

Together, Scooby and the hooded boy walked down the street… a strange figure watching them.

…Boy, there's just a lot of strange figures watching everyone today, isn't there?

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Who's watching all the kids? Who will win the "Truth or Fake?" competition? Will Scooby see Shaggy in the next chapter? What 'curse' was Sherman talking about earlier, and why doesn't the hooded boy want anyone to go to his house? …Who IS the hooded boy? (guess if you can)

Also, I put in a M*A*S*H quote… anyone notice?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	12. Chapter 12: Things Get Worse

Now for another chapter. Enjoy!

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store to add to his collection of purchased pet-shops

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason.

_**Reviewer Thanks A Ton!**_

**Looneytunecrazy: **Thanks, and glad you spotted the cameo! And we might see Speed Buggy- you never know what Tinker has in store ;)

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **First of all, thank you. Second, yep. Third, try to hold your excitement ;)

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **O.O …I gotta find that magazine. (It's almost like the movie where they met- they also said Shaggy was the oldest)

**Blackmoondragon1415: **I figured we needed some excitement in this story ;) And I feel for Scooby too- I feel for all the puppies that are separated from their parents *sniffle* (pardon me, I'm an animal lover). And I KNOW- the kids are the ones doing all the work! *tsk tsk* What is society coming to?

**NewbieCool: **(wow, even the reviewers are taking sides, lol) I love to give shout-outs, it's one of the perks of being an author ^-^

**Lady Nightwisp: **It's been a while since I've seen MASH too, but I still recall some memorable moments. And you'll find out who the hooded kid is in time ;)

**Tracker: **Lol, there's no fooling you, is there?

The Horrible Disclaimer: …Must I say it? (sees angry producers) *groan* Fine… I don't own Scooby-Doo OR any other meddlers. …it burns…

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Herring walked out of the drug store and down the sidewalk, passing by Mr. Monroe's pet-store, seeing that the door was being repair-

"Hold it right there, Red Herring!" A voice ordered him.

"Whoa, officers! I didn't steal anything!" Red gasped, turning around with his hands in the air… only to see it wasn't the police snapping at him. "Oh, it's YOU. What do you want, Jones?"

"I want answers!" Freddy stood face-to-face with Red, poking his finger into his chest. "I want to know where you were on the 16th of April, during the monster-attack, and no funny business!"

Red sneered. "The monster-attack happened last week- on MAY 16, you idiot."

"AHA! Only a SUSPECT would know that!"

"As in 'suspect' you mean people who actually pay attention to the calendar?"

"Just admit it, Red! You're in on the whole 'monster' mishap! And I know how, too…"

Red rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm trembling in my combat boots."

"You managed to track down the monster, led him to town, and managed to join up with him in order to scare the heck out of everyone!"

Red blinked. "You know, Jones, normally your half-cocked theories are lame, but this one is just plain stupid. How would I be able to control a monster?"

Freddy opened up his mouth to reply, but paused. "Um… I didn't get that far, yet."

Red shoved Freddy aside. "Why don't you go hunt your monster, and stop bugging me, you weenie!" With that, he stormed off.

Freddy walked off, sneering. "Apparently, I intimidated him too much. Ah, well, I'll get answers out of him once he breaks-"

"I DIDN'T DO IT, JONES!" Red shouted from down the block.

Freddy picked up the pace, passing by the store, just in time to see Missy walk out, looking madder than ever. "Outta my way, ascot-boy!" she snapped, pushing Freddy aside as she passed.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you?" Freddy asked.

"Apparently, Monroe can't take a hint! I wouldn't be surprised if the monster came back and demolished his entire store- him with it!" On that note, she hopped on her bike and rode off.

"Geez, what did Monroe do to get HER steamed?"

"Nothing," A voice sighed, and Freddy turned around, seeing a teenage girl with dark-blonde hair, wearing purple-framed glasses and wearing an apron over her outfit and holding a broom. "Monroe just threw her out for trying to haggle a price on the guinea pigs."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Christy, Mr. Monroe's niece. After hearing about the monster-attack, I decided to help my uncle run his shop." she let out another sigh, sweeping in front of the door. "I basically came to help the animals the most. After hearing about that poor puppy, I figured the rest of the animals might be worried stiff and need someone to make the store feel more comfortable."

"Animal lover, huh?"

Christy giggled. "Pretty much. I guess I get it from being with my uncle- he loves animals so much, he even offered a reward for the return of that missing puppy."

"Reward?"

"Yeah. I guess, after the puppy had been in the shop so long, he's grown attached to it."

Freddy began his pondering. "Weird… Pet store owners don't just hand out rewards…"

"Hey, my uncle isn't much like other pet-store owners." She then noticed something sticking out of Freddy's pocket. "Hey, what's that?"

Freddy pulled out the golden-jeweled collar he had found the other day, forgetting he had been keeping it in his pocket. "This? Oh, I found it at the crime scene. I figured it was a clue a monster dropped."

Christy studied the collar. "It looks expensive, like a collar rich people put on their pets." she looked on the other side of it, developing a curious look. "Look, there's some initials engraved on the inside."

Freddy looked at the initials: _SD. _"SD? What could THAT stand for?"

"Maybe my uncle will know. He's on his lunch break, now. I could keep the collar and show it to him if you'd like,"

"That's alright, I'll just have one of my friends look at it. She's a genius when it comes to clues," Freddy stuck the collar back into his pockets. "Thanks, anyway, Christy!"

Christy shrugged. "No problem," she wiped her forehead. "Boy, one minute it's storming, then it gets humid." she took out a pink scrunchie and tied her hair back. "There, that's better."

Freddy continued walking, pondering about the initials on the collar. _Velma may know. _he thought, and went to look for her.

Of course, he ended up finding something other than Velma.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Guys, shouldn't we be getting home?" Sherman asked, noticing that the afternoon was starting to grow dark. "My mom says I couldn't be out too late,"

"Just a minute, Sherman," Velma said, taking out a magnifying glass and looking at some paw-prints on the ground. "It appears our canine companion has taken a new route-"

"Like, zoinks!" Shaggy cried, looking across the street. "That's my dad's car!" He ran over to the wreck, seeing his father talking to a cop. "Dad, what happened?"

"The freakiest thing," Mr. Rogers replied. "I was just driving Scooby to the police, and this huge monster leaped out from nowhere!"

"M-M-Monster?" Shaggy and Sherman both stammered.

"Was it the Pet-Shop Prowler?" Velma asked.

"Possibly… though something looked different about it," Mr. Rogers replied. "It had a wolfish face and long teeth, but it's eyes were bright green and it had a forked tail." he sighed and shook his head. "I blacked out after my car crashed, and the next thing I knew, the monster was gone… along with Scooby."

"Scooby!" Shaggy gasped. "Like, oh no…"

"See, I told you," Sherman said, nervously. "Whoever has that puppy is bound to run into the Pet-Shop Prowler!"

"We'd better start looking for him," Velma said, following the footprints.

"Velma, didn't you hear what I said? That puppy is a magnet for monsters!"

"And he needs our help. C'mon,"

"I'm with Velma on this one. I promised Scooby I'd help him, and I'm not going to give up! No matter how big that monster is! Or how vicious he may be. …Or how mean he is… and scary… (gulp) Like, Scooby owes me for this." Shaggy said.

"Ooh, ooh, in that case, you're on your own." Sherman replied, noticing the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon. "Not that I don't want to help… I just don't think my mom would approve of me hunting monsters. …I wouldn't even approve!"

"Alright, you can go home by yourself, then." Velma said, paying no attention. "Just be sure to keep to the light. It's easy to get lost in the dark."

Sherman froze. It was already dark, and it was his first time hanging around town… and he didn't know the way back to his house. "(gulp) O-On second thought, I'd better stick with you guys, just in case you need help."

They followed the pawprints through an alley, seeing that they were leading toward the school district… along with another set of footprints. "It looks like Scooby wasn't alone. Someone's with him,"

"Like, I hope he didn't run into that creepy guy again…" Shaggy quivered.

"Unlikely… unless the man you're talking about wears a size 7 in shoes. It appears they're heading back to the school,"

"Well, lets catch up to them, then! I know a short-cut," Shaggy began leading them down the street, taking a shortcut through a park.

"Hey, wait up, guys!" Sherman called to them, running out of breath and finally leaning against a wall. "Boy, (huff huff) if I knew I was going to do so much running, (pant pant) I would've brought my inhaler." He looked ahead, noticing that he lost sight of Shaggy and Velma. "Ah, great! Guys! Hey, wait up! Crud, where'd they go?"

"Lost, kid?" A voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm-" Sherman turned around, seeing a man in a long coat and hat, glass eye, and looking way more creepier in the dark. "I'm-I'm-I'm-I'm-I'm OUTTA HERE!" He then took off running and screaming.

The mysterious man scowled, then began walking in the direction Velma and Shaggy had went.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It wasn't enough that Daphne had been struck by every kind of disaster at school, got caught in the rain, and missed the bus, but apparently Jenkins had lost his breath after doing so many favors and needed a quick break… leaving her to walk home on her own. "I swear, the next time Alexandra passes me in the hall…" she muttered, bitterly. "We'll see how she likes it when I stop giving her tips on how to attract guys! That skunk-haired, snobby…"

She paused, hearing a growling noise. _Oh, great. What NOW? _she thought, more annoyed than timid. She saw two shadows coming, and ducked around the corner, grabbing a trash-can lid. _I've had a long day, and I am NOT going to let it get worse! _A dark figure stepped around…

*WHACK! BAM! KLUNK! WHAM! CRASH! BONK!*

"HEY! ENOUGH WITH THE WHACKIFYING!" A voice snapped, and Daphne noticed it was that hooded kid from school…

…and Scooby was with him! "Raphne!" The pup exclaimed, running forward and hugging her. "Ram I rad to ree rou!"

"Scooby!" Daphne gasped. "What are you doing out here, and with the hooded kid?"

"I have a NAME, you know," The hooded kid (who has a name) sneered.

"Right. Um…" Daphne scratched her head. Everyone had been calling the kid 'the silent bully' or 'that hooded kid' for so long, she didn't recall his name. "What was it, again?"

The kid pulled his hood back, revealing his face at last, along with poofy black hair that came down to his neck, covered by a red cap. "Puggsy. My name's Puggsy,"

Daphne's eyes widened. She never saw him without his hood before.

"Rice to reet rou," Scooby said, shaking his head.

"So, Blake, what's your connection with the pup?" Puggsy asked.

"I was helping Shaggy in taking him to the police, but we hid out in the library when we saw some creep, and I lost track of them. Plus, I happen to know his parents," Daphne replied, then turned to Scooby. "I guess I got caught up in my argument with Freddy that I forgot. How about I make it up to you and help you get to the police and find your parents?"

"Reah! Reah!" Scooby exclaimed.

Suddenly, there was another snarl, and Puggsy turned around, his eyes widening. "Um, you may wanna put your joy on hold for a sec, guys!" he said, then pointed ahead. "We've got trouble!"

Daphne and Scooby looked ahead, and right in front of them stood the Pet-Shop Prowler! "Eeek!" Daphne shrieked.

"Ripe!" Scooby screamed, diving behind Daphne.

The monster stepped forward, and Puggsy grabbed an old plank of wood. "Get back, creepo! Don't make me do something I'd regret!" he snapped, smacking the monster on the head with the board.

*WHACK!*

The monster smacked him into the wall, and he saw stars. "Yep… I regret it…"

The Pet-Shop Prowler then took out a burlap bag and threw it over Daphne and Scooby, carrying them off. "Help! Get us out of here!" Daphne screamed. "This bag is filthy!"

"Relp! Raggy!" Scooby cried.

Luckily, their cries didn't go unheard.

Freddy froze, hearing the cries and seeing the monster. "Oh, man, the monster!" he gasped, then began running after it. "I'm not letting it get away this time!"

Across the street, Shaggy and Velma also heard the cry. "It's the monster!" Velma gasped. "And it's got…"

"SCOOBY!" Shaggy cried.

Immediately, they began running after the monster, following Freddy.

Meanwhile, Sherman came around the corner, out of breath. "I think I lost him…" he wheezed, then noticed Puggsy sitting on the ground, rubbing his head. "Hey, man, are you okay?"

"Just dandy. Some giant freak of nature just smackified me into a brick wall, and I'm dazifi-" Puggsy began to say, and his eyes widened. "Holy crud… it's YOU!"

Sherman arched an eyebrow. "Me?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Coming up- a rescue!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	13. Chapter 13: Running Into Trouble, Again

I believe I've kept you all waiting long enough! Here's a new chapter!

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store to add to his collection of purchased pet-shops.

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy for some reason.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Fangface the Second: **Thanks, and glad I inspired you. …And I CAN'T believe I didn't put in that detail! D8 …I might just add that in. Thank yous!

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **Huh, I never noticed that 'til you said something. And yes, those vehicles DO have awesome names, and anyone who can't remember them needs to re-examine their lives. And I am SO glad you mentioned Captain Caveman! (I nearly forgot about him, I'll have to put him in somewhere).

**Psychpineapplelover (aka Robyn): **I thank you 4 times! :D So glad you like the story, the cameos, and everything else! …I have the boomerang channel, but I'm disappointed because A Pup Named Scooby-Doo isn't on it :(

**Lady Nightwisp: ***bows* I do my best. Thank you! ^-^

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Theories, eh? Sweet! It's a sign that I have caught your attention well… anyway, glad you liked the action and have high hopes for the rescue. And Puggsy is a cameo.

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **(did I mention typing your name is fun? Because it is). Sorry I left you hanging! (and I agree- Shaggy looks at LEAST 17) …Lol, loved your outburst XD

**NewbieCool: **Lol, I just got it, too! XD

**Looneytunecrazy: **Yeah… Gotta love it when Freddy accuses Red. And Daphne and Scooby will be rescued… and I believe you're hunch may be right ;)

Disclaimer Monster: Augh! *hides* Alright, I don't own Scooby-Doo or other meddlers! Leave me alone!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Freddy, Velma, and Shaggy followed the monster down the street… surprised to see their other classmates heading in the same direction. "Hey, what are you guys doing out this late?" Freddy asked them.

"Same thing you're doing- trying to handle our monster-problem!" Tinker replied.

"Especially since it kidnapped some of the girls," Biff added. "It grabbed Kim when we were investigating the alley behind Monroe's shop."

"And Debbie was captured when we were following its tracks near the police station with Larry." Mark said. "His two pups chased after it, and we lost track of them."

"And Josie, Melody, and Valerie fell into a trap near the school," Alan said.

"…Along with my new cat, Sebastian!" Alexandra added.

"Like, what a coincidence. Daphne just got captured, too, along with Scooby!" Shaggy said.

"Is it just me, or does it seem like the girls were the only ones who got captured?" D.D. asked, scratching his head.

"Yeah… It's like they're natural damsel's in distress!" Henry Chan added.

"HEY!" Pepper, Alexandra, Suzie and Anne Chan, and Velma all snapped.

"FYI, not ALL of us girls were kidnapped!" Anne sneered.

"Yeah, and just because it happened this ONE TIME doesn't mean it'll happen again!" Pepper scoffed.

"…Well, maybe not to me." Alexandra sneered. "I'm smart enough to keep from getting myself captured by some creep."

"Namely because your face would most likely scare the monster away," Alexander joked, then yelped when his sister raised her fist to strike him.

"Wait, you said the monster also captured someone named 'Scooby'. Who's that?" Biff asked Shaggy.

"He's the puppy the monster was after." Shaggy replied.

"I can't help but wonder, why would the monster be after a puppy?" Suzie asked.

"Dad said he's one of the Doo Dane pups. They're pretty rare, and worth a fortune!" Stanley replied.

"That could be a reason why Mr. Monroe is offering a reward!" Freddy said, snapping his fingers.

"A reward for some dumb dog he'd sell anyway?" Alexandra scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That's probably the dumbest idea I've ever heard…"

"Yet worth thinking about…" Velma said, rubbing her chin, pondering.

"We'll think about it later." Alan said. "Right now, we'd better rescue Scooby and the girls, before something bad happens to them… especially Josie…"

"Oh, what do you see in that dumb redhead, anyway? There's OTHER girls you can go out with… like me!" Alexandra snapped… but Alan wasn't paying her any attention, much to her irritation.

"Alan's right. C'mon, if we work together, we may be able to find them!" Larry said.

Suddenly there was a girl's scream from up the block, alarming the kids. "Someone's in trouble!" Mark gasped.

"Must be another girl getting kidnapped." D.D. said, and got slugged in the arm by Pepper. "Ow!"

"I'll go check it out," Biff said, running up the block. "I'll meet up with you guys later!"

"Be careful!" Suzie called to him.

The rest of the kids continued to follow the tracks, seeing that they went on to the outskirts of Coolsville, down an old dirt road. "Like, zoinks! These tracks go on forever!" Shaggy said.

"We'll never catch up to the monster in time…" Tom Chan said.

Tinker and Allen Chan smirked. "Not exactly…" They both said, taking out a couple remotes. They pushed the buttons…

Seconds later, the kids heard the sound of a pair of engines, and watched in surprise as two vehicles drove up in front of them! The first one looked like a red-orange van, and the second looked like a tiny convertible with eyes. "Whoa! Where'd you guys find the cars?" Freddy asked, awed.

"We invented them. I made some modifications to the family van last week," Allen said.

"And I worked on mine over the weekend," Tinker replied.

"Uh, I think you overlooked one little detail, though…" Alexandra said calmly, then snapped. "NONE OF US ARE OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE, YOU DORKS!"

"Not a problem for my little vehicle," Tinker said. "He's remote-controlled, and can practically drive himself…"

"(sputter) You got that right," Tinker's vehicle said, and the others jumped back.

"Oh, did I mention he can talk, too? Go on and introduce yourself, buddy."

"The name's Speed Buggy (sputter)."

"First talking dogs, now talking cars… what's next?" Shaggy asked.

"Does OUR car talk too?" Anne asked her brother.

"Not really. …But, with a press of a button, it can change into any form," Allen replied, then pressed a button. "For instance, we can use Chan Plan 3 for this situation…" he pressed the button, and in a flash of light the van changed into a golf-car. "We may be too young to drive regular cars, but not golf-cars."

"What do you think of THAT, Alexandra?" Tinker asked, triumphantly.

"Alright, alright, they're impressive… but there's not enough room for all of us!" Alexandra replied, sneering.

"Not a problem," Mark said, looking in Speed Buggy's trunk. "Tinker's car has a couple bikes and a motorized skateboard in here!"

"I figured we may need them, later." Tinker said, shrugging. "Plus, Speedy's not quite his actual size- just a small prototype 'til I get my license, then I'll upgrade him to be as big as a real vehicle!"

"(sputter) I can't wait!" Speed Buggy exclaimed.

"We'll ride the bikes," Larry volunteered.

"We'll ride with Tinker and Mark," Alan said as he, Alexander and Alexandra climbed into Speed Buggy's small back-seat.

"Oof, if there's any room!" Alexandra sneered, shifting in the cramped space.

"I guess that leaves you guys with the skateboard," Tinker said, giving Velma a wink. "Good thing you know how to use it."

"Alexander, you're going to have to walk."

"What? Why me?" Alexander complained.

"You can ride with us, Al." Anne said. "There's enough room."

And then the kids- with their new vehicles- headed down the road, back on their search. _Like, I hope we don't get pulled over by the cops… _Shaggy thought. With a *WHOOSH!* The skateboard shot down the street. "AAAUGH! Brakes, Velma! BRAKES!" The coward cried.

Tinker snapped his fingers. "Darn it! I KNEW I forgot to adjust something!" he said.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_Those judo-lessons were a waste of time… _Daphne thought bitterly as the monster tied her to a chair, while Scooby was locked in a cage. The Pet-Shop Prowler then tied a gag around her mouth, snarling at her to keep still when she struggled. Once the creature knew she was secure, it walked out of the room and locked the door. _Great… locked up in a room in some sort of house God-knows where, and bound and gagged… and this rope is wrinkling my dress!_

Scooby whimpered, and the girl looked over, seeing the fear in his wide puppy eyes. It wasn't bad enough that she had been captured, but that she was never able to fulfill her promise to Scooby… all because of that stupid argument she had with Freddy, causing her to forget her promise and try to find proof that the monster was fake… all the while getting her hair done, shopping, and doing her nails…

_Wait, that's it! _she thought. Bending her tied-back hand as far as she could, she pulled out a metal nail-file (which, unsurprisingly, came in pink) from out of her shirt-sleeve. _It's a good thing I always have an accessory or two up my sleeves. _She then began to use its edge to file through the rope.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Outside an abandoned house, a white bloodhound and orange basset-hound puppy hid in the bushes, watching as the Pet-Shop Prowler walked out. "Now's our chance, kid," The bloodhound puppy whispered. "We'll sneak inside this house, ambush that monster when he comes back, and rescue that girl he ran off with!"

"Wouldn't it be better to rescue the girl _then _ambush the monster?" The basset-puppy asked, sounding a lot younger than the bloodhound.

"And lead her into danger again? Sheesh, kid, you need to keep your thoughts in line! It's a good thing I'm here to teach you all you need to know about being a detective-hound."

The basset-hound cocked his head. "You're a detective-hound?"

"Of course! Why else would Dotty give me this detective-hat?" The bloodhound pointed to the hat on his head.

"I thought that was because she thought you looked cute in it."

"Oh, pipe down, and get moving!" They headed toward the front door, just in time to see headlights.

"Someone's coming!"

"Yikes! It must be some yellow-four-eyed monster!"

"…Looks more like a couple vehicles, to me."

"Kid, you gotta get your eyes checked!"

The headlights dimmed, and Larry, D.D., and Pepper climbed out of the cars. "Woofer! Whimper! There you two are!" Pepper exclaimed.

The bloodhound turned to the basset-hound. "See? What did I tell you? It was just a couple of cars, nothing to be afraid of!"

"Whatever you say, Woofer…" The basset-hound replied, rolling his eyes.

"The monster must have trapped the girls in this creepy house," Alan said.

"Well, it was nice knowing them. Lets go home!" Alexander said quickly, turning to leave, but Alexandra pulled him back.

"Get back here, you chicken!" Alexandra sneered.

"The door's open, c'mon." Mark said, and they walked in. There was a large, old staircase that lead up to two different floors, and a doorway with another set of stairs that led down into a basement.

"This place is huge! How are we going to find the girls?" Henry Chan asked.

Freddy rubbed his chin. "Well… maybe we could split up." he suggested. "One group can search upstairs, another group can search the main level, and the last group can search the basement."

"We'll search upstairs," Larry said, and he, Pepper, D.D and the Chan kids walked upstairs.

"We'll search around the main-level," Mark said as he, Tinker, Alan, Alexander, and Alexandra walked off, with Speed Buggy following.

"Guess that leaves us with the basement." Velma said.

Shaggy paled. "Oh… great." he said bluntly, letting out a gulp.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It took forever, but Daphne was finally able to break her bonds. "Yech, I hope I don't have to go through THIS again," she sneered, taking the gag out of her mouth. She then walked over to Scooby's cage, letting him out.

"Raphne!" Scooby exclaimed, hugging her.

"Shh, quiet, Scooby. You can thank me later… and, uh, when you do, try not to use any drool." They walked over to the door, hearing footsteps. "Someone's coming. Quick, hide!" Scooby ducked down while Daphne grabbed a plank of wood, waiting by the door…

0o0o0o0o0o0

They walked downstairs, coming across a door at the end. "They might be in here…" Freddy whispered, then nudged Shaggy. "Take a look, Shag."

"What? Why me?" Shaggy demanded.

"Because, if you scream bloody-murder, we'll know the girl's aren't down here."

"Oh, THAT'S clever!"

"Just peek in and tell us what you see."

"Fine…" Shaggy poked his head in…

*THWACK!*

Shaggy pulled his head back in, a bump on his head. "Like, Freddy…?"

"Yeah?" Freddy asked.

"I'm seeing stars…" he then fell to the ground, dazed.

"Shaggy! Oh, my gosh! I'm sorry!" Daphne gasped, dropping the plank of wood. "I thought you were the monster! Are you alright?"

"Yeah… as long as I never listen to Freddy again…"

"Raggy!" Scooby exclaimed, running over and licking his friend.

Shaggy immediately sat up, hugging the puppy. "Scooby! You're okay!"

"C'mon, lets go find the others." Velma said. "We may also find a few clues to our monster-mystery…" They started heading up the stairs…

Freezing when they saw the Pet-Shop Prowler waiting for them at the top!

"L-Like, Velma, I think there's a clue right in front of us," Shaggy stammered. "A clue telling us to RUN!"

With that (and a few screams) the kids and puppy shot past the monster, who roared and began to pursue them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Biff followed the girl's screams, which lead him to the park. "Whoa!" he gasped, seeing what the screaming was about. Standing at the base of a tree was a furry, vicious creature, who was snarling at the screaming girl…

…who, as it turns out, was actually a boy. "Someone get this crazified werewolf away from me!" Puggsy yelled… his voice sounding a tad high-pitched.

"(grr) Who you calling crazified, you pip-squeak?" The werewolf snarled, then began shaking the tree. "Come down and fight! (snarl)"

*Crack!*

"Augh!"

*Thud!*

The tree-branch Puggsy was hanging on to snapped, making him fall on the werewolf… who wasn't very happy about it. The boy got up and ran past Biff. "If I were you, kid, I'd scrammify, like now!" he said as he shot by.

Biff looked at the werewolf, who was now back on its feet. "Augh!" he screamed, following Puggsy. "Wait up!"

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Cue chase-scene! XD

…Which leads me to my next statement: Anyone got some ideas on what kind of old-styled songs I could use for the chase-music?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	14. Chapter 14: Cue Chase Music!

Enough with the wait! Here is the new chapter!

Also, I've decided to go with Robyn's song suggestion. I hope you all enjoy!

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store and add it to his collection of pet-shop purchases.

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **Thank you for the compliment, and thank you again for the save ^-^

**Looneytunecrazy: **Yeah, I noticed that in a lot of meddler-based shows the girls are always the victim, so I decided to put in the "First Kidnap" for some of 'em XD Glad you liked the Speed Buggy intro. …And I loved that part of Hassle in the Castle! :D Woofer and Whimper are from the show "Clue Club", and thank you so much for bringing up that other meddler-group! (I need to start making out a list of them all)

**Ash Wade: **Thank you for your suggestion.

**Lady Nightwisp: **Wait no longer, and read on my friend!

**Blackmoondragon1415: **I thought the same thing about Fangface. I hope to read your story once you get it started! (And you're right- someone who is not a girl will be the damsel soon enough, mwua ha ha) And Daphne never leaves home unprepared. …And the werewolf IS someone we know ;)

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **Thanks for the suggestion, and glad you like Speedy's speaking.

**Fangface the Second: **Thank you. Enjoy this next chapter!

**Psychpineapplelover: **(Anyone with a name that gives reference to the Psych pineapple deserves a shout-out ^-^) Thanks for the Scooby-Snack! (and yes, we shall see more of these in the story- otherwise it wouldn't be labeled under "Scooby-Doo") And neat, Whimper has a twin! And the chase-music scenes were awesome (which is why I must include one) Thanks once again for the suggestion!

Disclaimer: (I hate this thing) All rights belong to Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears… I only own the plot.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Freddy and Velma sprinted down the hall, eventually coming across the other kids… Stanley, Alexander, Tinker and D.D. having bumps on their heads.

"Like, let me guess- one of the girls mistook you guys for monsters, too?" Shaggy asked, rhetorically.

"Yep." Stanley, Alexander, Tinker, and D.D. all replied.

"Did you guys find anything?" Suzie asked.

"RRAAAWEEERRR!" came a roar.

"Yeah- 500 pounds of trouble!" Freddy replied. "Run!"

The group of kids ran as fast as they could, the monster in pursuit. "The exit is this way!" Alan said as they ran around the corner.

The pet-shop prowler leaped out of a room just then, separating, Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Freddy from the others, who kept on running! "Change routes!" Velma cried, and they turned around, leading the monster away from the others.

They ran down a hallway…

…then down another…

…and another…

…and another…

…and another…

…(sigh) and another…

"You know, I don't mind running from a horrifying creature as much as the next guy, but this is getting a little boring," Shaggy said.

"Yeah, we've been running around all day… and these shoes don't help!" Daphne added.

"A chase-scene this good needs something extra…" Freddy said, rubbing his chin.

"R'I've rot it!" Scooby exclaimed, stopping and pulling out a boom-box. He then clicked the button, and music began to play.

"Now that's more like it!"

_**Well she's got her daddy's car and she cruised through the hamburger stand now**_

The kids split up- Daphne, Freddy, and Velma running into one room while Shaggy and Scooby ran into another… which happened to be the kitchen. Jaws dropping with their tongues hanging out, they forgot about the monster and ran straight to the fridge.

_**Seems she forgot all about the library**_

Shaggy started stacking lettuce, ham, turkey, cheese, pickles, onions, peppers, and anything else he could find in the fridge on top of a slice of bread, making a sandwich large enough to touch the ceiling. Once it was finished, he and Scooby prepared to eat it, until the monster popped up behind them and snarled, scaring the sandwich out of their hands!

_**Like she told her old man now, and with the radio blasting**_

They ran off, the monster preparing to pursue- but a drop of mustard had conveniently dripped onto the floor, causing the creature to slip and fall. Shaggy ran back and caught his sandwich, watching it fall in a perfect stack in his hands, then took off once again. The monster snarled, got up, and ran after them.

_**Goes cruising just as fast as she can now**_

The Pet-Shop Prowler ran back into the hall, looking around for the two cowards, but saw nothing but a lamp and an umbrella-pot, then ran on in search for them- not noticing Shaggy pull the lamp-shade off his head and pull an umbrella-hook (which happened to be Scooby's tail) out and pull the pup out, and the two of them ran in the other direction.

_**And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away**_

_**(Fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away)**_

Freddy peeked around the corner, making sure the coast was clear, and motioned the girls to follow him… not noticing the Pet-Shop Prowler was sneaking with them!

_**Well the girls can't stand her, 'cause she walks, looks and drives like an ace now**_

_**(You walk like an ace now, you walk like an ace)**_

Daphne stopped in front of a mirror, checking her hair. The monster stood behind her, snarling… and her reflection shrieked and pointed behind her. Daphne gasped, then took out some lip-stick and drew around the monster's reflection, giving him goofy glasses, a weird hairstyle, and a silly-grin, then ran.

_**She makes the Indy 500 look like a chariot race now**_

_**(you look like an ace now, you look like an ace)**_

The monster turned around… surprisingly having the lip-stick drawing on his own face as well! Wiping it off his face, he snarled and chased after Daphne.

_**A lotta guys try to chase her, but she leads them on a wild goose chase now**_

_**(you drive like an ace now, you drive like an ace)**_

Daphne ducked behind an old suit of armor as the monster ran by. Freddy and Velma peeked out of the armor- Freddy out of the chest plate and Velma out of the helmet- and the three of them took off.

_**And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away**_

_**(fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away)**_

The kids all came across a hallway full of doors, five on each side, each of them running into one. The monster came to the first door on the left side, noticing Velma run out the second door on the right and into the second door on the left, and the monster ran in that one; Shaggy ran out of the fourth door on the left and into the third one on the right, while Scooby ran out the first door on the right and into the fourth one on the left; Daphne ran out the third door on the left and into the fifth one on the right, and Freddy came out of the fifth door on the left and ran to the fourth door on the right-

-stepping back when Biff and Puggsy ran out, unexpectingly-

Freddy looked in the room and screamed, running into the second door on the right when the Pet-Shop Prowler came running out, chasing after him… until he saw Scooby and Shaggy peeking out the third door on the left, only to duck back in. It ran over and opened the door-

-shrieking and running into the first door on the right when a furry werewolf stepped out, running into the second door on the left.

Daphne peeked out of the first door on the left; Freddy peeked out the second on the right; Velma peeked out the third on the left; Shaggy peeked out the fourth on the right; and Scooby peeked out the fifth on the left. All the kids regrouped in the middle of the hallway-

…Scrambling like maniacs when the Pet-Shop Prowler suddenly popped out a trap-door in the middle of the floor!

_**Well you knew all along that your daddy was getting wise to you, now**_

_**(You shouldn't have lied now, you shouldn't have lied)**_

The monster ran into the living room, where he saw a small family sitting by the fire- a mother and father (Freddy and Daphne) relaxing in their chairs while the kids (Shaggy and Velma) played on the floor with the dog (Scooby). The monster smiled at the heart-warming scene, and continued its way-

_**And since he took your set of keys, you think your fun is all through now**_

_**(You shouldn't have lied now, you shouldn't have lied)**_

Freezing when it realized it had been fooled, and ran back to the living room, only to see that the kids had fled. It snarled in anger, and ran back down the hall to search for them.

_**But you can come along with me, 'cause we got a lot of things to do now**_

_**(You shouldn't have lied now, you shouldn't have lied)**_

The kids came across a wide empty room, and- deciding not to let a good chase-song go to waste- began to dance. The Pet-Shop Prowler came, scratching it's head at the sight, but shrugged and began to dance to.

_**And we'll have fun, fun, fun, now that your daddy took the T-bird away**_

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

_**And we'll have fun, fun, fun, now that your daddy took the T-bird away**_

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

While the monster was still dancing, the kids made a break for it.

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

The monster looked around, realizing it allowed the kids to elude it once again, and slapped its forehead in frustration, then ran off after them (yet again).

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

The kids came across a spiraling staircase, and then slid down the railing. "Wheeeeeeeeee!" they all exclaimed.

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

They met up with the other kids at the bottom… just in time to see the Pet-Shop Prowler riding down the railings as well!

_**(fun, fun, fun now that your daddy took the T-bird away)**_

*CRASH!*

…Rather than landing on the bottom, the monster accidentally flew off the railing and out a window!

"Oooh…" All the kids groaned, cringing and knowing one thing: that has GOT to hurt!

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: That does it for the chase-scene! Next chapter- the mystery plunges deeper!

Also, the song mentioned was "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys. …Gotta love the oldies.

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	15. Chapter 15: Suspicions, Suspicions

New chapter, please! *gets hit with new chap* ….Ow…

**Suspects**

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her dad… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store so he can add it to his list of purchased pet-shops.

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Looneytunecrazy: **Thanks for the cameo suggestions. Glad you liked the gags and the 4th wall breaking, too!

**RussM: **Yep, it basically sums it up, lol.

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: **THANK YOU! Lol

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Yes, it's best if you get everything planned out before you start (otherwise you'll be stuck for weeks trying to come up with a good ending- trust me, I know). You're welcome… and you'll see ;)

**Psychpineapplelover: ***bangs gavel* Agreed! Psych IS awesome. And I know how you feel- writing this story is practically bringing back my childhood (note: must write more stories like this). And your song-choice really went well with the chase-scene! (the song actually got stuck in my head after I put it in, lol) And keep the Scooby-snacks coming! :D

**Lady Nightwisp: ***shrug* Ah, I do my best. ^-^

The One Thing None Of Us Can Stand- the Disclaimer: I own nothing. CONTINUE!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The kids ran out the front door and to the smashed window, cautiously checking to see where the monster had landed. Incredibly, there was no trace of it out front, not even a crater in the ground. "Weird… it just disappeared." Daphne said.

*Rustle rustle* came a noise from the bushes, and the kids stepped back.

"L-Like, maybe not!" Shaggy stammered, as he and Scooby held on to each other, shaking with fright.

A figure climbed out of the bushes with leaves in their hair, and in the moonlight the kids noticed that it was actually Mr. O'Rally. "Ooh, my head…" he mumbled, his sunglasses crooked and his body covered in dirt. He stood up, brushing himself off and regaining his posture.

"Mr. O'Rally? What are YOU doing here?" Daphne asked.

"I was about to ask you kids the same thing. Shouldn't some of you be in bed?"

"We're investigating the Pet-Shop Prowler mystery," Josie said.

"You didn't, by any chance, run INTO the monster, have you?" Pepper asked, eyeing the businessman suspiciously.

"No, and from all the screaming I heard a few minutes ago, I'm glad I didn't." he took out a little hand-held device, punching numbers into it. "I actually came out here to see what kind of property values this old house had, thinking about tearing the place down and opening a new pet-store."

"A new pet-store?" Kim asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Sure, I figure if Monroe doesn't want to sell, he could use a little extra competition… Not that it would be TOO competitive, with all the trouble that monster's been giving him." Next to him, Velma was examining the businessman with her magnifying glass. "I can tell the poor sap's on the verge of going out of business, so delusional that he's offering a reward for that puppy he's missing."

Scooby ducked and hid behind Speed Buggy at the sound of those news.

"Well, it's been nice chatting with you children, but I've got my own chain of shops to check up on- and you'd better get home too, before your parents get ideas to rent out your rooms." With that, he climbed into his Rolls Royce and drove off.

"Interesting…" Velma said, typing something into her portable computer.

"Yeah, anyone else find it weird that O'Rally just happened to be lying where the monster had landed?" Daphne said.

"If you're saying O'Rally may be the one behind all this, I'd agree with you." Alexandra said. "That monster looked pretty cheesy to me."

"Maybe he's dressing up for Halloween," Melody said, then giggled.

"I don't know," Henry Chan said. "He seemed pretty real, and I doubt O'Rally could get out of a costume THAT fast,"

"Then, if it wasn't him, where could the monster have gone?" Larry asked.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" A voice screamed, and the kids watched as Biff and Puggsy came running around the corner, diving behind them.

"Biff! What's going on?" Kim asked her friend.

"…And who's the short kid?" Anne Chan asked.

"And WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?" Alexander asked, his sunglasses popping off at what came out from around the corner.

The kids gasped, looking over, seeing a shadowy figure walking out…

"Hey, guys, what's going on? I heard a bunch of screaming," Sherman said as he walked up.

"Sherman! Like, where have you been, man?" Shaggy asked, approaching him.

"I don't remember. One minute, I'm trying to find you, then I'm running into him-" he pointed at Puggsy. "Then I noticed it was getting late as I looked up at the sky, seeing the moon coming out… next thing I know, I'm standing in front of some sunset portrait inside a creepy house, and a couple guys are running off, screaming."

"By the way, who are you, and why were you running from…" Freddy began to ask Puggsy, then turned to Sherman. "Um, come to think of it, who are _you_?"

"His name's Sherman Fangsworth. He's home-schooled," Shaggy explained.

"He was helping us investigate after we found a message that told us to keep away from his house…" Velma added, and then faced Puggsy. "Which we received from you. Care to explain who you are and why you wanted us to avoid Sherman's house?"

"The name's Puggsy, and I gave you that message because THAT kid is a weirdo werewolf!" Puggsy replied, pointing at Sherman.

Sherman looked around. "Is he talking about me, or you?" he asked Shaggy.

"Like, I highly doubt I could turn into a werewolf… plus, he's talking about YOUR address." Shaggy replied.

"Geez, kid, did you get hit by a truck on the way over here?" Alexandra sneered. "You're talking crazy!"

"I normally don't agree with Alexandra, but she has a point (this time)." Daphne said. "There's no such things as werewolves!"

"I'm NOT crazified, it's the truth!" Puggsy snapped. "I've seen him transformify with my own eyeballs!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Stanley Chan exclaimed. "You're that kid from first grade, the one who's never spoken for years!"

Puggsy gave him a deadpanned look. "You guys haven't embrightened much over the years, have you?"

"Hey, could you guys move along with this conversation, later?" Daphne asked, sternly. "We've got a plot to get back to, and you're distracting from the main characters!"

"Just as soon as I prove my point," Puggsy then pointed up to the sky. "Alright, Fangsworth, look at the moon!"

Sherman looked up. "I can't, the clouds are blocking it." he replied.

"We'd all better be getting back home anyway," Biff said, looking at his watch. "Our parents are probably worried sick by now," he then turned to Puggsy. "We'll get back to our business with the Pet-Shop Prowler AND that werewolf tomorrow,"

Puggsy shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged off. "Fine, go ahead and disbelieve me," he sneered.

"Why don't you work on fixing your vocabulary in the meantime, too?" Alexandra teased. "It doesn't sound like it's improved since first grade!"

_So that's what they must have teased him about, _Velma thought. _No wonder he never spoke, before._

The kids headed home. "So, you're not actually a werewolf, are ya?" Tinker asked Sherman.

"Not that I know of…" Sherman replied, scratching his head.

"(sputter) I hope not." Speed Buggy added.

Scooby leaped a mile. "Roly rud! A ralking rar!" he yelped.

"Holy crud! (sputter) A talking dog!"

"Can you believe this, kid?" Woofer said to Whimper. "Now machines are talking! What's next?"

"I don't know… Maybe talking dog-biscuits?" Whimper replied with a shrug.

"You'd better watch your tongue, boy, and pray that don't happen!" A dog biscuit landed in front of the two hounds. "Well, now, what's this?"

"Meow," went the dog-biscuit.

"YIPE!" Woofer took off. Whimper looked over, seeing that the 'meow' had actually come from a black and white cat, who snickered at his prank.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The entire school was in a hype about the monster, everyone still talking about it- especially after last night. There wasn't one conversation that didn't involve the Pet-Shop Prowler, suspects, or Monroe's reward for Scooby.

Speaking of the pup, Shaggy had convinced Sherman to take the pup home (after calming him down after he heard Scooby talk) and keep a watch on him while he was at school, telling his friend that the monster wouldn't know where he lived since his house was too far out the neighborhood- let alone probably wouldn't come near it if it heard the rumor about the kid being a werewolf. In order to give him an extra boost of security, Tinker had Speed Buggy help him guard Scooby (after Sherman had gotten over his surprise of the talking car).

Since he dropped Scooby off, Shaggy couldn't stop thinking about the pup, feeling both worried about and sorry for his new-found friend, imagining how afraid he may be with a monster still after him- let alone having to hang out with a talking vehicle and a kid who (might be) a werewolf. He couldn't blame Scooby- he was just as scared as he was, and hadn't been this scared in his entire life.

Well, except for one time, as a kid, when a burglar was loose in the neighborhood and Shaggy was afraid it would break in. He was shook up about it for a whole week (even after the criminal had been caught), feeling that his house wasn't as safe as it seemed. In an effort to calm his nerves, his mother made him a coconut-cream pie, getting his mind off his fear. _Maybe I could make Scooby something. _Shaggy thought. _He probably needs a ton of snacks to calm his nerves… but what kind?_

He walked to his next class- cooking (the only class he didn't fall asleep in), and decided he'd use this as an opportunity to experiment.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The final bell rang and the kids walked out of the building, heading home. Freddy and Velma walked together, passing by Monroe's pet-shop and seeing Christy out front, cleaning the window. "Hey, Christy, how's your uncle doing?" Freddy asked her as they passed by.

"Ugh, he's been a grouch lately." Christy replied, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "No one's turned in that Doo Dane pup yet, and he's getting impatient. I think he really likes that pup,"

Velma then noticed a bandage on her arm. "What happened to your arm?" she asked.

"Oh, this? One of our cats got loose while we were fixing the door, and some glue got on her, so my uncle had me give her a bath- and I easily remembered that cats don't like water."

"I see…"

"Christy!" Monroe called from inside the store. "Come manage the cash register, I gotta take Fabio to the vet!"

"I'll be right in!" Christy called back, walking inside.

Velma and Freddy continued their pace. "That girl seems pretty suspicious," Velma said.

"How? She seems nice to me," Freddy replied.

"Well, for one thing, how did she know Scooby was a 'Doo Dane' pup?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Tinker and Alexander walked down the road toward Sherman's house to pick up Speed Buggy and Scooby (since Shaggy had stayed after school, working on his own project). "Hey, you don't suppose that hooded kid was right about Sherman being a werewolf, do you?" Alexander asked, timidly.

"I highly doubt it. Being on Daphne's team, I don't think any kind of creepy creatures actually exist," Tinker replied.

"(gulp) I hope she's right…"

They arrived at the house, seeing Sherman sitting outside with Scooby and Speed Buggy, and the small car drove up to Tinker, standing on its hind wheels and hugging him like a dog would do when its master came home. "Heh heh, down, Speedy, down!"

"Where's Raggy?" Scooby asked

"Aw, sorry, Scooby. He stayed after school,"

"R'aw…" Scooby hung his head low.

"Don't worry, Scooby. I'm sure he'll be here, soon." Sherman replied, patting Scooby on the head. "We could read comic books 'til he gets here."

"R'oh kay…" Scooby's ears then perked up, and he pulled out the Commander Cool comic-book he kept on him. "Do rou rave rany of rese?"

Sherman scratched his head. "Sorry, I don't understand a word you said. …I don't think I have any of those comics, either." He reached into a hat he was wearing- gray with a black stripe around it- and pulled out a comic book. "I have a 'Moon Man' comic book, though… I hardly get past the first page for some reason,"

"Why not?" Alexander asked.

"I don't know. I only get as far as page one, where Moon Man goes straight to the-" Sherman opened the comic book, and developed a strange expression on his face…

"Um, is there something wrong, Sherm?" Tinker asked, watching as the home-schooled kid began to spin.

He stopped spinning…

…And the others started running.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Ah, sorry that I keep distracting from the main characters! I'll try to avoid that in future chapters! Anyway… So, we have more suspense, another suspect, and a mystery of what Shaggy is up to (though, you can all probably guess)

Please review. I accept constructive criticism… but be gentle.


	16. Chapter 16: Meeting Fangface

Here is a new chapter. Now enjoy it.

**Suspects:**

**Christy- **Seems too convenient that she happens to have a scratch on her arm and knows that Scooby is a Doo Dane, though no one's mentioned it to her.

**Missy Misterson- **Wants revenge on Monroe for not sharing profits with her father… that, or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants Monroe to sell his store so he can add it to his collection of purchased pet-shops, and also appeared when the monster disappeared at the crime scene.

**Mysterious Man- **Keeps following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **I believe you meant "Mr. O'Rally". And yeah, it does seem pretty odd to build another pet store with a Pet-Shop Prowler loose, isn't it? Along with the fact that Christy has a scratch on her arm… Glad you liked Fangface's appearance!

**Tracker: **Lol, just wait 'til you read the rest XD And yeah, I looked the song up on you tube, and thank you!

**Blackmoondragon1415: **(thanks for the icepack) Lol, gotta love irony. And yes, the suspect-gallery shall increase, but one question remains in mind: Who did it? (I'm not telling)

**Psychpineapplelover: **Lol, you guessed it! …And yes, it IS cool ^-^ And once again, I agree! (p.s. did you ever see the episode where Shaun and Gus make Scooby-Doo references? :D) Glad you don't think I'm going over-board with the cameos! No, Puggsy isn't one of my characters (darnit) he's actually a cameo for- you'll find out soon ^-^ And thank you for the surplus of Scooby-Snacks! (chocolate and bacon will do, lol)

**Lady Nightwisp: **(tries to shut laptop) *oof* Yeah, well, if the plot keeps getting thicker, I'm gonna need a bigger computer! (lol)

Disclaimer (oy): I don't own Scooby-Doo or any other meddlers, otherwise the old series' would still be on Cartoon Network!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Shaggy ran down the hall, carrying a paper sack with him. "Oh man, I'm late!" he said, looking at his watch. "I hope Scooby will like this, otherwise I'll have to make a new sympathy gift AND a bigger apology!"

He took a sharp corner, screeching to a stop when he saw Red Herring. "What's the rush, Rogers?" the bully asked, smirking. "See _another_ monster around?"

"L-Like, I j-just stayed after c-class, and I really need to get going, so… See ya!" Shaggy tried to run, but Red grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hoisted him up. "Zoinks!"

Red then noticed the sack. "Say, what's in the bag?"

"N-Nothing, just… something I made in my last class. Nothing you'd want-"

"Oh, yeah?" He then grabbed the bag- still holding Shaggy- and peeked inside. "Looks like a bunch of cookies. You lied, Rogers, this IS something I'd want!"

"Um, I don't think they're the kind of cookies you'd want to eat-"

"What do YOU know what I like? You hardly know me! 'Sides, it's been a while since I stole your lunch off of you…" Red tipped the bag, sliding a cookie into his mouth.

Dropping Shaggy and the bag, he began to sputter and gag at the taste, spitting out the cookie. "See? I said you wouldn't like it… They're dog-treats-"

Red growled then grabbed Shaggy by the shirt-collar, pinning him against the locker. "So, you decided to mess with me, eh? Give me dog-treats, huh? What're you trying to do, poison me?"

"Hey, I told you that you wouldn't- yipe!" Shaggy cringed as Red raised his fists.

"Any last words, you weenie?"

"Drop him, Herring." A voice came. Red looked over, seeing Biff, Kim, and Puggsy standing there.

The bully sneered. "Oh, yeah? Who's gonna make me? Some pretty boy, a chick, and some kid who doesn't even know how to speak right?"

Puggsy stepped up, cracking his knuckles. "One more insultation like that, and you'll be talking with a toothless mouth, you ignorpotomas!"

Red dropped Shaggy, then grabbed Puggsy. "Wise guy, eh? Well, we'll see how wise you are after I-"

"Oh, Mr. Josephson! Over here!" Kim called, waving to someone down the hall.

Red gasped and dropped Puggsy. "C'mon," Puggsy whispered to Shaggy, who grabbed his sack of treats and followed the three kids out.

"Oh, Mr. Josephson! I wasn't doing anything, we were just-" Red began to stammer, then noticed there was no one behind him. "Hey, wait a minute!" he turned around, seeing that his victims were gone. "Ooh, when I get my hands on that little punk…"

Biff, Kim, Puggsy, and Shaggy rode their bikes down the street. "Sheesh, Rogers, didn't anyone warnify you about how Red uses his detention time to harass any kids who stay after school?" Puggsy sneered.

"Why were you staying after school, anyway? Did you get in trouble?" Biff asked.

"Like, huh uh. I was just making something for Scooby," Shaggy replied, holding up the bag. "I figured some snacks would help calm him down after last night's monster-run-in."

"You made dog-treats? How?" Kim asked.

"Oh, I just used some stuff in cooking class- flour, milk, cheese, tomato sauce, onions, bacon-bits, hamburger, whip cream, chocolate syrup, peanuts, gravy-"

"Yech, what are you trying to do, make the pup vomit?" Puggsy scoffed.

Shaggy ignored him. "So, what were you guys doing after school?"

"We had to help set up things for the dance this weekend," Biff replied. "Though, we actually spent most of the time wondering how we would catch that werewolf that was chasing me and Puggsy."

"And I keep telling 'em it's that Fangsworth kid, but do they believe me?" Puggsy added.

"How do you know he's a werewolf, anyway?" Kim asked.

"Like I told you, I saw him changify myself! It was last month, when I was walking home late from my kick-boxing class, when I saw him…"

_~Flash-Back!~_

Puggsy is walking down the sidewalk, when he sees Sherman leaning against a wall, rubbing his head. "What the…? How'd I get way out here?" the boy is asking himself, looking startled.

"Hey, kid, you lost?" Puggsy asked.

"I-I think I've been sleep-walking… though, I don't remember sleeping… I think I'm lost."

"Where do you live?"

"Lane 1224, outside the neighborhood."

"I know where that is. C'mon, I'll walkify you home," They walked down the street until they reached Sherman's house.

He tried the door, but it was locked. "My parents must be asleep, I'll have to go around back."

"Alright, see ya." Puggsy began walking down the road, looking back once, seeing Sherman trying to hold the fence only to fall over. "Huh, boy, that kid's gonna get himself murderfied just by busticating into his own house! I'd better make sure he didn't give himself a concussion…" He walked over to the fence, jumping up and grabbing onto the edge and peeking over, seeing that Sherman was lying on his back. "Yo, kid, are you alright?"

"I see stars, and the moon-" Sherman's eyes then widened, and he began to spin, rotating into the bushes.

Puggsy climbed over, running toward him. "Whoa, what's wrong? Are you-"

"Arrroooooo!" came a wolf-howl.

Puggsy froze. "…okay?" he crept toward the bushes, cautiously. "Kid? You in there?" He peeked into the bushes.

…Coming nose-to-nose with a werewolf. "(grr) Hey, who the heck are you?" the werewolf asked.

Puggsy had only one thing to say at this moment…

"Holy leaping ignorpotomases!"

…okay, maybe it was three things.

Next thing he knew, he was running through the fence (leaving a hole in it) and screaming at a femininely high-pitch.

_~End of Flash-Back!~_

"And if you don't believe me, see for yourself!" Puggsy said, firmly. "I'm pretty sure that hole I made is still in the fence."

"If we go to his house and see, will you stop with the accusations?" Kim asked, irritated.

"Like, I'm on my way there, now, to pick up Scooby." Shaggy said.

"You left a talking dog with Sherman? Didn't he freak out?" Biff asked, remembering how easily-timid the home-schooled kid seemed.

"Not as much as when he met Speed Buggy. I sent Tinker and Alexander to pick him up, but just in case he decided to stay…"

"Who'd be crazified enough to stick around with a-" Puggsy began, but Kim gave him a look. "A… talking car?"

They rode their bikes down the road, heading to Sherman's house, unaware of the surprise that awaited them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daphne walked with Velma, Debbie and Mark down the street. "Why are we heading to Sherman's house again?" Daphne asked.

"Tinker said he was going to stop by there to pick up Speed Buggy," Debbie replied. "We figured it would be a good idea to meet him halfway, and get a better look at his vehicle."

"Yeah, it's not everyday you see a remote-controlled car the size of a Great Dane," Mark added. "Speaking of which, didn't Shaggy say he left Scooby there, too?"

"Yeah, I told him he might as well take Scooby to the police after what happened last night, but after telling us about his dad's run-in with the Pet-Shop Prowler, he figured it would be better if Scooby stayed with Sherman, since he lives so far outside the neighborhood." Daphne replied, rolling her eyes. "I think it's silly that he can get so worked up about some make-believe monster."

"Hey, that 'make-believe monster' just happened to kidnap us yesterday, remember?" Debbie pointed out. "I'm with you about the whole thing being fake, but just because it may not be real doesn't mean it's not dangerous."

"You were kidnapped, too?"

"Yeah, around 7 o'clock in an alley near the mall."

Daphne's eyes widened. "That was the time the monster grabbed me and Scooby near the park! How could it have snatched both of us at the same time if we were on different sides of town?"

"I think this case just got more interesting…" Velma said.

"I'll say," Mark said, rubbing his chin. "A monster being in the same place twice? Kind of crazy…"

"Not exactly!" came a voice, and they turned around to see Alan, Freddy, Josie, Valerie, Melody and Alexandra walking up behind them. Freddy was the one who spoke and he held up a magazine. "In _The National Exaggerator, _it mentions a monster with the ability to teleport itself to any location, so it could have easily swiped up all the girls using its power!"

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Alexandra sneered.

"Freddy, I figure the monster is probably real as much as you do, but I think you're going a little over-board with the theories," Valerie said. "The rest of the girls weren't caught until 6, according to the interviews in the school newspaper," she held up a copy of the school newspaper to prove her point. "See? Daphne and Debbie were caught around 7, Kim was caught at a quarter to 6 along with me and Melody, and Josie was grabbed a quarter after 7."

"Plus, wouldn't the monster have to know our exact locations in order to capture the girls?" Alan added.

Freddy lowered his magazine, blushing. "Oh… yeah…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"There's got to be a more logical explanation," Mark said. "Like maybe… there's more than one monster!"

"Just don't say that around my brother," Alexandra said. "He's been jumpy since the monster made the headlines! He practically had to go back to using a night-light because of last night's incident."

"Where is your brother, anyway?" Velma asked.

"He went with Tinker to pick up Speed Buggy and Scooby," Melody replied, letting out a small giggle. "I guess he's over his fear of talking cars and dogs- oh, and talking dogs, too!"

"He was supposed to be helping the rest of us set up the gym for the school dance afterward, but he never showed up." Alan said. "We're heading over to Sherman's house to make sure everything's okay."

"That's where we were heading to." Daphne said.

They continued their way, seeing Biff, Kim, and Puggsy running from the house. "You guys… have GOT to see this!" Biff said, out of breath.

Without hesitation, the kids ran around to the back of the house, seeing Scooby, Tinker, Alexander, and even Speed Buggy up in a tree. "Guys? What the-" Debbie gasped.

"Like, call animal control!" Shaggy cried running by… the werewolf right behind him. Quickly as he could, he climbed up the tree and onto the only other available branch.

"Jinkies!" Velma gasped.

"See? I TOLD you he was a werewolf!" Puggsy snapped.

The werewolf turned around, growling. "Oh, nice going, loudmouth!" Alexandra sneered. "You caught his attention!"

"Oops…"

The kids scattered, Puggsy the only one left standing. "Don't just stand there, man! RUN!" Alexander called.

Puggsy turned to run… only to trip over his shoe-lace and hit the ground, and the werewolf was now right in front of him. "Oh, crud…" he covered his face with his arms, bracing himself for the worst.

"I can't watch! (sputter)" Speed Buggy stammered, covering his eyes.

"Re reither!" Scooby whimpered, doing the same.

The werewolf leaned over Puggsy… then picked him up and set him back on his feet. "Hey, you alright, kid? (grr)" he asked.

"Um…" Came Puggsy's reply. "Sure, I guess."

"Good… (snarl) 'Cuz I'm gonna get you back for creaming me with that trash-can lid last night!"

"Hey, I wouldn't have creamified you with it if you didn't try to attack me!"

"(grr) I wasn't attacking you! …Even if I was, it would probably because you got me grounded for that hole in the fence (grr) that YOU made!"

"Well, excusify me for being petrified, but it's not everyday some weird-wolf pops out of the bushes and scares the daylights out of ya!"

"They're distracting from the plot again…" Daphne muttered.

"I'll handle it," Kim sighed, walking up. "Hey!" she caught Puggsy and the werewolf's attentions. "If you guys would lay off the arguing for a few minutes, could we get back to the storyline?"

The werewolf shrugged. "Okay," he said.

"Good. Now… why were you chasing after our friends?"

"(grr) I just wanted to know what they were doing in my yard! (snort) I mean, it's not everyday you wake up and see a bunch of strangers standing around, and oh man then that car and that dog both started talking and really freaked me out! I wanted to know what was going on, if I were dreaming or something, but before I could get any answers, they split! (grr) Split." he then thumbed at Shaggy. "Ooh, ooh, then this kid showed up, but he was too busy screaming to answer any of my questions, either! (grr)"

"So… you weren't going to hurt any of them?"

"(grr) Heck no!" he pointed at Puggsy. "I may get this one for smashing my face in last night, but the other guys are okay. (grr) Okay, okay."

"Alright then." Kim then turned to Puggsy. "Now, apologize."

"WHAT?" Puggsy snapped. "But he-"

"Oh, just apologize so we can get back to the story, you big-mouth!" Alexandra called.

"You hurt him first, so you apologize." Kim said sternly.

Puggsy grumbled. "Fine…" he turned to the werewolf. "I'm sorry."

"(grr) Apology accepted," The werewolf replied.

"You guys can come down now," Biff called to the cowards in the tree. "The werewolf won't hurt you!"

"If you say so…" Shaggy gulped, and they all climbed down.

"By the way, what's your name?" Kim asked the werewolf.

"(grr) Fangface, who are you guys?" the werewolf replied.

The kids all introduced themselves. "Say, you wouldn't have any association with the Pet-Shop Prowler, would you?" Freddy asked.

"FREDDY!" Daphne scolded.

"The who-what-now?" Fangface asked, confused.

"The Pet-Shop Prowler, the monster who's after Scooby, remember?" Shaggy asked.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about. (grr) No idea,"

"Don't you remember anything from being Sherman?" Velma asked.

"Who?"

"Uh, huh… Just as I thought," she turned and whispered to the other kids, "He doesn't remember his human-counterpart!"

"Then, fill him in and lets get back to the plot," Tinker said. "We've already gone through an entire chapter that explains who he is and how Pugs met him!" he then faced the reader. "And this story's listed under 'Scooby-Doo'."

"We'll fill him in, you guys go see if you can find any answers," Biff said. The rest of the kids nodded and walked off.

"So, what was it you were saying, Daphne?" Freddy asked, smirking. "There's no such thing as WHAT, now?"

Daphne slugged him in the arm. "Oh, shut up, Freddy!" she snapped.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And that's Freddy- 1. Daphne- 0. XD

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	17. Chapter 17: Extreme Treehouse Makeover

Hello, readers, I have AUGH! (ducks tomato) Alright, alright! I KNOW it's been a while since my last update, but cut me some slack, will ya? I've. Been. BUSY. Whoa! (ducks cantaloupe) Seriously, calm down! Just read this next chapter, and hold back on the fruits and vegetables! Eep! (ducks refrigerator) Oh, VERY funny, who threw the fridge?

**Suspects:**

**Christy- **Seems convenient that she happened to have a cut on her arm right after the recent monster-attack, and knew that Scooby was a Doo Dane though no one mentioned it.

**Missy Misterson- **Is out for revenge against Monroe for not sharing his store-profits with her bankrupt father… or because he sold a goldfish she wanted.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Wants to buy Monroe's store, and happened to appear right after the monster disappeared at the crime-scene.

**Mysterious Man- **Has been stalking Scooby and Shaggy for reasons unknown.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**NewbieCool: **Sorry you lost your bet, lol.

**Lady Nightwisp: **Couldn't have said it any better myself. We need fourth-walls though, otherwise what would we have left to break? XD And Daphne will get back at Freddy… eventually.

**Psychpineapplelover: **XD I love those parts too! (someone has to write a Scooby-Doo/Psych crossover someday). Thanks once again for the snack age ^-^ And I totally remember that episode! Thank you once again!

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Lol, you don't even know the half of it! Glad you liked the side plot.

**StormBringer128: **(I was wondering why the chapter felt AU, for some reason lol). Glad you thought the chapter was good, despite we got waaay off the original plot. And do not worry, we'll be seeing more of the mysterious man soon- er, not that it's a good thing… not in Scooby or Shaggy's case, anyway.

**Scoobyfan1: **Thank you. And I'm roughly 6 years younger than you, and also enjoy the oldies, the Beatles and the Beach Boys being my favorites ^-^

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **I think you should worry more about how Fangface is going to prove to Puggsy how he's a good guy, lol. And Scooby and Speedy do make good friends, don't they? And your theory may be correct… And the time involves how all the girls happened to be kidnapped around the same time, but in different locations.

**Looneytunecrazy: **Thank you times a thousand :) and I will manage to put in more cameos later. Glad you enjoyed the original fourth-wall breaking ^-^ And I may just write a one-shot about that ;)

**Doctor Brittana Banana Who: ***shrug* Oh well. …And thanks for keeping track of the score, lol jk

The Oh-So Horrible Disclaimer: I own nothing. STOP HARASSING ME!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As if fate would have it once again, Freddy, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby ended up teaming together for their investigations (despite Freddy and Daphne's clashing theories). They walked down the street, and no more than five steps back into their neighborhood did Shaggy stop. "Like, oh no…" he gasped.

"What is it?" Daphne asked.

Shaggy pointed down the block, where they saw the trench-coat wearing, gold-toothed, glass-eyed, creepy-looking mysterious man talking to one of the neighbors. "It's that freaky-guy again!"

"Quick, hide!" Freddy advised, and they ducked behind a telephone post, able to hide themselves completely. (Gotta love cartoon discretion). They waited until the mysterious man walked by, then stepped out and took off around the block. "Who IS that guy? I've never seen him around town, before."

"No idea, but he's been following Scooby and Shaggy around for some reason," Daphne replied.

"Why is he following you guys?" Velma asked Shaggy.

"Our only guess is that he's the monster," Shaggy replied. "I mean, think about it- the monster's after Scooby, and that guy said he was looking for Scooby!"

"Rand he's reepy," Scooby added.

"Right, AND he's creepy. It all adds up!"

"Boy, the suspect list keeps getting longer by the second!" Freddy said. "First Missy, then Mr. O'Rally, then Christy, and now a mysterious man! …Not to mention Red Herring."

Red then suddenly pulled up on his motorcycle. "I didn't do it, Jones!" he snapped, poking his finger into Freddy's face. "And if you accuse me one more time, you'll be sleeping six feet under dirt!" With that, he drove off.

"You know, guys, I've been thinking." Velma began. "If we're going to be doing some investigating, we're going to need a discrete location where we can examine our evidence. I mean, the library is nice but it's too public, along with the school."

"Velma's got a point," Daphne said, rubbing her chin. "What about one of our houses? My mansion has a great security system."

"Yeah, but it's a little far up the road for the rest of us. We need a place that's more close-by to where we all live, that way we'll be able to hang around there after dark so our parents don't get worried." Freddy said, then turned to Shaggy. "You got any ideas, Shag?"

"Like, I don't think well on an empty stomach," Shaggy replied. "Mind if we stop by my house for a snack first, then go around searching for hide-outs?"

"Reah, ret's eat!" Scooby exclaimed.

"I don't see how you two can think about eating at a time like this," Daphne scoffed.

"Trust me, Daphne. There's always time for eating. Right Scoob?" Shaggy replied.

"Right!" Scooby agreed.

The kids walked to Shaggy's house, going in through the back gate, and the first thing the others saw was an old tree-house. "Hey, Shag, you never told us you had a treehouse!" Freddy exclaimed.

"That old thing? Yeah, my dad built it for me when I was ten, thinking it would help cure my fear of heights." Shaggy said. "I don't use it very often, though."

Velma rubbed her chin. "Perhaps _we_ could…" she said.

"What are you talking about, Velma?" Freddy asked.

"Our hideout. After being all around town for the past few days, I've noticed that Shaggy's block is right in the center of Coolsville, and the closest to the police department. I think it's the perfect spot for all of us to gather, since it wouldn't be a long walk, and it's high enough so no one can break in easily."

"You mean you want to use some old, dirty treehouse as our hideout?" Daphne questioned, disgusted. "But it's probably full of spider-webs, bugs, grime, and dead leaves!"

"Like, Scooby and I can clean it up later," Shaggy retorted.

"I could help clean it up, too." Velma added. "I have some extra equipment in my room that I could bring over."

"Alright, then. You guys work on the tree house, and we'll go to Monroe's shop to find some more clues," Freddy said, then took out the golden collar. "By the way, Velma, you'd better hang on to this for me."

"Hey, where'd you get the snazzy collar?" Shaggy asked.

"I found it in the store. It seemed a lot more classier than the collars Monroe normally sells."

Daphne studied the collar. "Hey, it's got Scooby's initials on it!" she said.

"Ruh?" Scooby asked.

"Yeah, 'SD'- Scooby Doo! It must belong to you,"

"I was wondering what those letters stood for…" Freddy said to himself, then boasted to the others. "I had a feeling it belonged to Scooby."

Daphne only rolled her eyes.

"R'I've rever seen rat rollar in my rife," Scooby said.

"Are you sure? It would be hard to forget something this fancy around your neck," Shaggy said, holding up the collar.

"Why would a gold collar with Scooby's initials on it be doing in the pet-store?" Velma wondered.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling I know someone who may have the answers," Daphne said, taking the collar. "C'mon, Freddy." Together, she and Freddy walked off.

"Well, while they're investigating, lets get something to eat," Shaggy said.

"Reah, I'm rarving!" Scooby agreed.

"By the way, Shaggy, what's in that bag?" Velma asked, pointing to the paper sack in Shaggy's hand. "You've been carrying it around all afternoon."

Shaggy slapped his forehead. "Zoinks, I almost forgot!" he said, then pulled out one of his home-made dog-biscuits. "Here, Scoob, I made you something. Try 'em out."

"R'oh boy!" Scooby exclaimed, eating the cookie… and every other taste he had ever tasted seemed tasteless compared to the taste the treat had. He hugged his stomach, twisting around, then shot up in the air like a rocket! He then floated gently down, landing in Shaggy's arms. "Rericious!"

Shaggy took out a cookie for himself. "Man, are they that good?" he took a bite to see for himself, and the first thing he realized that he really outdid himself on making dog-treats, and he instantly did the same thing Scooby had done- hugged his stomach, twisted around, and shot up like a rocket, only to float gently back to the ground. "Like, I ought to go into business as a professional chef." he then held a treat out for Velma. "You want to try one, Velma?"

Velma cringed, taking a step back. "Um, no thanks. I think I'll get started on the treehouse." she replied.

"Oh, right. Scoob and I'll head to the garage and grab some paint to spiff the place up," He and the pup then walked around to the garage, grabbed some blue paint and brushes off the shelf, along with a ladder, and walked back to the backyard. "Alright, we've got-"

They froze. In under a minute the treehouse was suddenly remodeled- new paint job, the leaves trimmed, and it even had an elevator! Heading inside it, they saw that the interior looked like a laboratory, with shelves, beakers and tubes, a computer… and conveniently a fridge (though, it was already there before, considering it was _Shaggy's _treehouse).

"Roly row!" Scooby put bluntly.

"Oh, hey guys." Velma replied, hopping down from the chair. "What do you think?"

Scooby and Shaggy could only gape.

"It's… not too much, is it?"

"No, it's just… wow, you work fast!" Shaggy replied.

Velma shrugged. "I do the same thing to my room." she then started typing at her computer. "Now then, shall we get back to our mystery?"

"Like, sure, just a sec…" Shaggy said, then turned to Scooby. "Scoob, could you stand behind me and hold your arms out?"

"Sure. Why?" Scooby asked, doing as he was told.

Shaggy then fell back fainting…

*THUD!*

…hitting the ground, right in front of Scooby. "Um, Scooby? I think you were supposed to _catch_ him." Velma pointed out, cringing.

"Roops," Scooby said, examining Shaggy to make sure he was alright.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Geez, Daph, slow down!" Freddy called, running after Daphne. He noticed they were going to another side of town, rather than the pet-shop. "Where are you going, anyway? The pet-shop is THAT way."

"We're not going to the pet-shop," Daphne said.

"What? How come?"

"Because we're going to talk to the owners of this collar, first," She pointed up the street at a large house. "We're going to talk to Scooby's parents."

Freddy scratched his head. "If we're meeting his parents, why didn't you ask him to come along?"

"Because, we found this collar at the scene of the crime, and if it belongs to them…"

"What are you saying, that his own parents may be behind the monster-criteria?"

Daphne sighed. "I'm not sure. I just know that they may know something about the Pet-Shop Prowler, and why this collar was in the store. …But, if they are behind it, it's gonna be hard on Scooby…"

Freddy nodded. "I'll say. I'd freak out if I woke up one day and found out my parents were monsters,"

They headed toward the mansion to get their answers… hoping for once in their lives that their theory was wrong.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: …I hope I got the tree-house details right :p

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	18. Chapter 18: Meanwhile with the Cameos

(The authoress is digging through the fridge) …Where the heck is the pudding? *freezes, sees reader* Oh! Heh heh, sorry… just thought I'd grab a snack before opening this next chapter ^-^'

Well… here's the next chapter!

**Suspects:**

**Christy- **Seems too convenient that she has a scratch on her arm the day after the monster attack, and knows Scooby is a Doo Dane though no one said anything to her.

**Missy Misterson- **Is angered that Monroe didn't share profits with her father… or sold a goldfish she wanted… either way she wants to see the pet-store closed.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Happened to be at the scene of the crime right after the monster disappeared, possibly part of his plot to buy Monroe's store.

**Mysterious Man- **Is STILL stalking Scooby and Shaggy. (say that five times fast)

**My Kitty- **Wants revenge on the authoress for getting her declawed and _hey wait a minute! _(glowers at kitty, who flees) *mew*

_**Reviewer Thanks Muches!**_

**Looneytunecrazy: **That episode happened to be on the other day, but sadly I wasn't able to watch all of it :( …Gah! I don't remember! O.O (this is one reason why the old shows need to be on TV more- my childhood memories are slipping away!) …Fate is funny that way, and I'm glad you liked the treehouse bit. …You may be right, but we'll have to see ;)

**StormBringer128: **We'll see what connection Scooby's parents have, but hopefully your guess will be right.

**Psychpineapplelover: **I almost forgot a lot of things, but thankfully writing this story brings back memories. Glad I brought memories back to you as well, and made you laugh ^-^ …And yes, I react the same way. *shoots up like a rocket, then hovers back down* And I'll add your idea to my "Future Fics" list :D

**Blackmoondragon1415: **I figured someone would like that quote. And I can't wait to see what kind of theories you had in mind once the mystery is solved ;)

Disclaimer: Why, OH WHY, is life so cruel? Why don't I own Scooby-Doo or any other meddlers? _Why_ must I only be able to write fan-fics? And WHY do I HAVE to keep REMINDING everyone of my loss with this stupid DISCLAIMER?

*mew*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Josie, Melody, and Valerie stood in the park, thinking about the day's events. "You know, girls, I've been thinking," Josie said. "If the monster is real, why would it be robbing pet-shops and be after a puppy, namely Monroe's?"

"I was starting to think the same thing," Valerie said, rubbing her chin. "It doesn't make much sense on why a monster would be after a dog. I mean, if it wanted to eat one, it could've grabbed any hound in the neighborhood… why be after Scooby?"

"Maybe it just wants a puppy of it's own," Melody guessed, giggling.

"That was Freddy's first theory," Josie chuckled, rolling her eyes. "But seriously. There's gotta be a bigger reason on why the Pet-Shop Prowler has been harassing so many stores, and chase after a particular dog,"

Valerie snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Maybe it attacked so many stores because it was _looking _for Scooby!" she said, then began to ponder. "Yet the question remains… why?"

"I don't know, but I'd say we meet back up with the others and get back to finding some answers!"

"Right!" Melody and Valerie agreed.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you girls," Melody said. "My cousin, Taffy, found a block of ice floating ashore last week,"

"No kidding? My older sister, Dee Dee, told me the same thing in her last letter!" Valerie said.

"My friend, Brenda, said the same thing, too!" Josie said, then scratched her head. "Only… the thing is… she said there was a _caveman _in it!"

Valerie and Melody looked at her, eyes wide. "Same here!" they both gasped.

"I wonder what it means…" Valerie pondered aloud.

"That Taffy, Dee Dee, and Brenda are going to be hanging out with one 'cool' guy?" Melody joked, giggling.

"We'll talk about it later. Right now, we've got our own investigation to get to!" Josie said, and the three girls left the park.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Debbie and Mark sat in Tinker's garage, as he pulled leaves and twigs out of Speed Buggy's axels. "Speedy, do me a favor- don't climb any more trees," Tinker said, pulling out a branch and finding a bird-nest on it… bird included, up until it flew away.

"(sputter) Rodger dodger," Speed Buggy replied.

"So, who do you suppose the monster is?" Debbie asked, starting a conversation on the mystery.

"I think that O'Rally guy is behind it all," Mark said. "He seems pretty anxious to open another pet-store… and get Mr. Monroe to shut down his shop."

"I'd put my money on Missy." Tinker said, pulling out a fistful of leaves. "That girl really knows how to hold a grudge, and has enough of a temper to attack Mr. Monroe! …All over some little goldfish, too."

"Who do you think is behind it, Deb?"

"I'm going to go with Tinker's guess," Debbie replied. "Missy has always been a brat, and she would do anything to get her revenge when she doesn't get her way. I think we should get back to the investigation."

"Just as soon as I finish cleaning up under Speedy," Tinker said, then crawled out from under the little car. "There, feel better, buddy?"

Speedy Buggy shifted (no pun intended). "I think (sputter) there's something in my (sputter) tailpipe!" he replied.

Tinker looked into the pipe. "What the…?"

"Squeee!" A squirrel snapped, shooting out of the pipe and landing on Tinker's face.

Tinker stumbled around. "Augh! Get it off!"

"Huh, I feel better (sputter)" Speed Buggy said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"C'mon, Larry, why can't I go?" Dotty argued as she sat in the den by her computer. "We'd be able to solve the case faster!"

"You're too young, Dotty," Larry replied. "I don't think Mom and Dad would like it very much if you were snatched up by the monster,"

"They're still mad at us for staying out late this weekend, anyway." D.D. said, shrugging. "I doubt we could get into any more trouble if we brought Dotty along,"

"How about going a week without television to a month without videogames?" Pepper sneered.

D.D. cringed. "Okay… so we could get into more trouble,"

"Listen, Dotty, I have an idea." Larry said, then knelt down and started patting their hound dogs. "While we're looking for clues, you can stay behind and train Woofer and Whimper- teach them how to sniff out clues, track down suspects, and even train them to deliver evidence from us to you, so you don't have to wait for us to come home to analyze it on your computer."

Dotty sighed, rubbing Whimper behind the ear. "Oh, okay… but I'll only do it because I want our dogs to be the best crime-solving canines around." she said.

"You hear that, kid? She's gonna train us to be crime-solvers!" Woofer said, grinning. "I can see myself now- dragging in criminals by their ankles, being awarded for my bravery, getting to meet Ol' Yeller…"

"Don't you remember what happened to Ol' Yeller?" Whimper asked.

Woofer's grin faded. "Er… right… Well, I'll still be a great detective dog!"

"What about me?"

"Don't worry. Everything I'll learn I'll pass down to you… and I say we start our training with learning our way through the neighborhood so we can bring clues to Dotty!" Woofer headed toward the door.

"Shouldn't we wait and let her train us, and show us around?"

"If we do it my way, we'll save her the trouble. Plus, I already have keen instincts to guide me throughout the whole town."

"Then how come you freaked out after getting lost in the backyard?"

Woofer gave Whimper a glare. "I wasn't freaking out! …I was only running a drill."

"We're going to go out and find some more evidence," Larry said as he, D.D., and Pepper walked out. "And remember, Dotty- do NOT leave the house, unless it's important!"

"You can count on me," Dotty said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Please, Dad, can't we go with you?" Flip Chan begged as his father started walking out the door.

"No, I need you to stay here," Mr. Chan replied. "Your mother is feeling very ill, and it would help her feel better if you helped your siblings take care of the house while I'm gone."

"Mommy's been sick for almost a week, Daddy," Nancy Chan said. "Is she going to be better, soon?"

Mr. Chan sighed. His wife had grown sick, and her condition only seemed to be getting worse, almost critical. He looked at his five-year-old daughter, sadly. "I hope so, Nancy. I hope so," with that, we walked out the door.

Stanley waited until his father car drove off out of sight, then turned to his siblings. "Alright, guys, lets get back to finding that monster!" he said.

"But Dad said we had to stay home," Mimi, the youngest daughter and a year younger than Nancy, pointed out. "If we leave, we'll get in trouble,"

"Plus, he said we have to help Mommy," Nancy said.

Henry and Suzie looked into a bedroom, where their mom was asleep. "Nancy's got a point. Some of us should stay home and help take care of Mom," Suzie said.

"What if we draw straws?" Tom asked, cutting a few straws in half. "The three who have the shortest straws go help Dad, and the other three stay behind with the kids,"

"Why can't we go?" Flip demanded.

"Because you guys are too little, and we don't want to see you hurt." Anne replied.

"Hey, I'm big enough! I just turned six! How much longer do I have to wait until I can go with you guys?"

"Until you're seven," Tom replied.

Flip grumbled, then turned to their three-year-old brother, Scooter, who was playing with their new puppy, Chu Chu. "I sure hope you don't have anyone bossing you around when you get to my age…"

The kids drew straws. Stanley, Henry, and Suzie got the longest straws, and snuck out the door, while Anne, Allen, and Tom stayed behind with their siblings, and their ill mother.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Biff, Kim, Puggsy, and Fangface sat in the yard, the three human tweens growing irritated. "Alright, let's try this. One. More. Time." Biff sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fangface, you always happen to 'wake up' somewhere, without knowing how you got there, right?"

"(grr) Right," Fangface replied.

"And whenever you look at the sun, you black out, right?" Kim added, resting her hand against her forehead.

"Right,"

"And you've had dreams about being some wimp who's scaredified of almost everything, right?" Puggsy finished.

"Right,"

"Then the only explanation is that you weren't 'sleep-walking', as you've said," Biff said. "But because, every time you see the sun, you change into human,"

"And that kid you've dreamt about is actually your human-half," Kim added.

"And you have no idea that you both are one in the same," Puggsy finished.

The werewolf only cocked his head to the side. "Hmm… Nope. Still doesn't make sense to me," he replied.

The other three groaned, smacking their foreheads. "What do we have to do, draw you a picturization?"

"Maybe… (grr) If I knew what a 'picturfication' was."

Biff sighed, looking at his watch. "We'll have to explain it to him, later." he said. "Right now, it's getting late, and we still need to find out where the Pet-Shop Prowler came from and why it's after Scooby."

"As if we didn't have enough creepos to handle," Puggsy muttered, and they began to walk off.

"See you later, Fangface. Nice meeting you,"

"(grr) Bye, guys…" Fangface replied.

Kim looked back at the werewolf, noticing a hint of sadness on his face. "Hold on guys," she said to the other two, then turned to their furry friend. "Hey, Fangface, you werewolves have keen prowess, right? Maybe you could help us solve this monster-mystery,"

"That's not a bad idea," Biff agreed. "And with you on our side, that monster wouldn't dare try to hurt anyone."

Puggsy only gave Biff and Kim the 'Are you crazy?' look.

"Ooh, ooh, you mean it?" Fangface exclaimed, his tail wagging.

"Sure. Come with us, you can be part of our team," Kim said.

"We have a team?" Puggsy deadpanned.

"Oh, gosh, guys! (grr) This is great! I never get to hang out with anyone!" Fangface said, excitedly.

"So, you'll help us?" Biff asked, smirking.

"You bet! (aroo!)"

Puggsy shook his head. _This had better be the only time I have to hangify out with this nit-wolf… _he thought, bitterly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Just thought I'd give everyone a glimpse of what the other meddlers are up to. …Did anyone else spot the new cameo-reference?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.

*mew*


	19. Chapter 19: Recaptured

_There I was, running for my life, screaming at the top of my lungs, my loyal kitty by my side up until she decided to climb up the nearest tree, leaving me to be cornered by the angry throng of readers. "Wherever Girl! You have kept us waiting long enough, and we're sick of our disappointment caused by you!" A reader shouted as he stepped forward with his torch. "Give us a reason why we shouldn't bound and gag you, toss you in a barrel, and throw you in the river!"_

_My mind raced quickly, then I remembered the bag strapped to my back. Quickly, I reached into it, and pulled out my laptop. "My only bargain is that I have written a new chapter," I replied, opening my laptop and showing them the file._

_The mob only stared at me._

"_I say we let her live!" Someone piped up from the back of the throng._

"_Alrighty then!" The leader said, and they all dispersed, heading to their homes to read the newest chapter of the long-awaited story._

_I slumped down, sighing with relief, my kitty approaching me with a questionable *mew*. "I can see why DOGS are considered man's best friend," I sneered at her, but she only responded by sitting on my lap. I shrugged, stroking her back, then picked her up and headed to the comfort of my own home._

_The moral of the story: Never leave your readers waiting too long._

**Suspects:**

**Christy- **Way too convenient that she has a scratch on her arm after the monster attack, and seems to know more about Scooby than she's been told.

**Missy Misterson- **Monroe didn't share profits with her father, AND sold a goldfish she wanted, and the girl wants revenge for it.

**Mr. O'Rally- **Has an eye out for Monroe's store, and was at the scene of the recent monster-attack right after the creature disappeared.

**Mysterious Man- **Is after Scooby and Shaggy for some reason… but what?

**Red Herring- **He knows something about the monster, I just know it! I- (wait a minute! FREDDY! Have you been messing with my suspect list? *Freddy runs off*)

_**Reviewer Thanks So Much For Sticking To The Story!**_

**Dr. fan-mai-lover: **I'll consider your idea for a Scooby-Doo/Green Lantern crossover, though I'm not too much of a fan of the graphic novel. I'll think about it, though (Maybe similar to when Scooby met Batman and Robin?)

**Looneytunecrazy: **Amen to that. And in a way the Teen Angels sort of reminded me of the Pussycats, so I decided to put in a 'relative' reference (and your guess is correct. Here's a Scooby-snack ^-^) And thank you!

**Lady Nightwisp: **Eventually, for the Teen Angels ;)

**Psychpinapplelover: **I love anything that makes a story more interesting ^-^ …*slaps forehead* Drat, I always make a spoof when writing! (Thanks for the nit-pick). And the caveman IS the cameo ref! Congrats! (throws Scooby-snacks at you). And you're welcome =) …I always had to wonder that too, lol. Of course, if someone's offering Scooby-snacks, I guess they'd catch 'em.

**Blackmoondragon1415: **I love to make my stories interesting, and thank you! :D

Disclaimer: If I DID own Scooby-Doo and other meddlers, don't you think I'd be writing more episodes than fan-fics? Didn't think so! Now, read on!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daphne rang the doorbell, and she and Freddy waited a couple minutes. The door opened, and they saw a butler, almost similar to Jenkins but with a handle-bar mustache. "May I help you?" The butler asked.

"We'd like to see Mr. and Mrs. Doo," Daphne replied, then held up the gold collar. "I believe this belongs to them."

"Very well. Follow me."

They followed the butler down the hall toward a living room, where a couple of Great Danes sat. They looked exactly like Scooby, only one wore a tie and glasses and the other wore make-up and a pearl necklace. The one with make-up, obviously Scooby's mother, beamed at the sight of Daphne. "Raphne Rake! Oh, it's ro rice to ree rou! Ry have rou rown!" she exclaimed.

"She knows you?" Freddy asked in a whisper.

"I believe we met when I was little, at my parent's country club," Daphne replied with a shrug, though she couldn't recall much of the memory herself. She then faced the Doos. "Hello, Mister and Missus Doo."

"What rings rou rover?" Scooby's father asked, cheerfully.

Freddy and Daphne looked at each other, both wondering how to start their story about the Doos' beloved pup. "There's something we need to tell you," Freddy began with a sigh. "You see, some… thing broke into the pet-shop in town last week, and we found this at the crime scene." Daphne held up the collar for them to see.

"Rat's Roobert's collar!" Scooby's mother gasped. "What rappened? Ris he rokay?"

"He's fine, Missus Doo." Daphne assured. "He's hanging out with a couple of our friends. We were just wondering… Mr. Monroe doesn't sell collars this fancy, and we saw your son's initials on it… we were wondering if you knew anything about it."

Scooby's father sighed. "Rit was a rirthday rift," he said. "We railed it to the ret rop to rive to Roobert, so he wouldn't reel unroved or forgotten."

"It was a birthday gift," Daphne sighed with relief, then gave them an inquisitive look. "But… if you both loved Scooby that much, why didn't you just visit him- let alone bring him home?"

"Ronroe wouldn't rive him rack," Scooby's mother replied, bitterly. "Raid we'd rave to _ray_ for our reloved ron, rand he was rasking for enough roney to rake us rankrupt!"

"When we tried to regotiate, he rot a restraining order ron us, forbidding us to ret root ron his property." Scooby's father added, looking just as angry. "What a reap-scate."

"Interesting…" Daphne said, rubbing her chin.

"You find it interesting, I'm still trying to comprehend some of the sentences!" Freddy replied in a whisper. "What did they say?"

"Lets just say, I believe our mystery is just about solved," Daphne then turned to the Doo parents. "Thank you for your time, Mister and Missus Doo… And I assure you, you're going to see your son again real soon!" she then turned to Freddy. "In fact, lets go get him, now."

"Alright. I guess Scooby could use a good family-reunion,"

"Ro'h, rank rou!" Scooby's mother exclaimed.

"We'll be back!" Daphne called as she and Freddy raced out the door and down the street, eager to tell Scooby about their discovery.

…Eager, that is, until they tripped over a wire and landed on some knotted ropes, which happened to be tied together to form a net, which hoisted them into the air on contact. Off to the side, they saw the Pet-Shop Prowler standing by them, a vicious grin on its face. It looked different, having a shorter snout, ram-horns, and a whip-like furry tail.

"Or… maybe not." Freddy gulped.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Velma was at her computer, looking over all the clues everyone had gathered since last week and looking over their lists of suspects. She thought about all the stories everyone had talked about, all their theories (save Freddy's sci-fi ones), and how everything fit together. _Interesting… _she thought as a few results popped up now and again, and she begin to develop her own theory on who was behind all this.

On the other side of the room, having recovered from his 'faint' episode, Shaggy and Scooby were raiding the fridge, building a couple sandwiches that stood higher than their heads. "Like, I gotta admit, Velma. I thought you were a genius before… but a walk-in fridge? You ought to get a Nobel Prize!" Shaggy exclaimed.

Velma smiled and blushed. "I'm glad you like it." she replied. "I was afraid you'd have a tantrum, from the way you fainted."

"How can I have a tantrum when I have the most awesome treehouse in all of Coolsville? Heck, I don't even know what a tantrum is!"

"Me reither," Scooby said, munching his sandwich down, then eyed Shaggy's sandwich next.

Velma walked away from her computer toward a printer, where the data was sliding out… bumping her knee on a box in the meantime. "Ow!" she cried, rubbing her knee, then looked inside the box, seeing a ton of comic books. "What's all this?"

"That's my Commander Cool comic-book collection," Shaggy replied, setting his sandwich down, and moving the box out of the way. "I usually move them up here when I run out of room in my closet."

"You must really love to read comic books," Velma watched as Scooby approached the lone sandwich, but turned her attention back to Shaggy.

"Mostly just Commander Cool, he's my favorite." Shaggy took out a comic, sighing at the cover. "I'd give anything to be a real superhero like him- strong, heroic… fearless…" he put the comic book back and set the box aside, then looked at his watch. "Zoinks! I'm gonna be late for dinner!" he ran toward the elevator. "I'll meet up with you later, Velma."

"What about your sand-" Velma looked over, seeing that the sandwich was gone, and Scooby was picking his teeth with a toothpick, looking satisfied. "Never mind." She walked back over to the box, looking at the comics, flipping through a few panels, rubbing her chin as she did. She thought about the last time the monster attacked, and how a mysterious man had been following them, let alone that bully always antagonizing her friend. _Shaggy and Scooby both have had more than their share of scares and harassments… _she thought, watching as Scooby curled up on a bean-bag chair. _I think it's time to give them something that will boost their confidence, and help them out with their troubles. _

On that thought, she walked over to her computer and got to work.

_~One Quick Scene-Change Later~_

Velma grinned, then wrapped up her newest creation, sticking it in a paper bag. She looked out the window, seeing that Shaggy was on his way back to the treehouse. "C'mon, Scooby," she said. "I have a surprise for you both,"

"R'oh boy!" Scooby exclaimed, following Velma out.

They met Shaggy in the backyard. "Hey, I was just on my way up," Shaggy said. "Did you find out anything?"

Velma hid the paper-bag behind her back, remembering that they had a mystery to solve, and recalled her latest result. "Well, there's a lot to consider, but I believe I know who's behind all this…"

"Really? Who?"

"Reah, who?" Scooby repeated.

"I looked at our clues, and after some analyzing, everything points to-"

Scooby then yelped. "RONSTER!"

Velma and Shaggy looked over, just in time to see the Pet-Shop Prowler leap over the fence, only it looked different- it now looked more wolf-ish, with bull-horns and large gorilla-like arms. "ZOINKS!" Shaggy screamed.

The monster grabbed Velma and Scooby, then leaped over the fence. Shaggy, though afraid, raced after his friends. "Shaggy, help!" Velma cried as the monster ran around the corner.

"Velma! Scooby!"

"Raggy!" Scooby's frantic voice came next.

Shaggy raced around the corner, but the monster had disappeared… and his friend's screams had come to a cease. _No… oh, please, no! _he thought, panicking, looking inside every trashcan, behind every bush, under every car… everywhere, in every spot where he may find a trace of his friends. _Oh, man… _

He raced down the street, recalling that Freddy and Daphne had been on their way to town, hoping to catch up to them. "Freddy! Daphne!" he called, running all over the town, looking in every alley, in every store, but they weren't around. _Not them too! _"Velma! Daphne! Freddy!"

His voice only echoed, and tears began to form in his eyes. The monster had captured his friends, and there was no one around to help him. …He was on his own, this time.

"Scooby Doo! WHERE ARE YOU?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And the famed quote is finally quoted. Will Shaggy be able to help his friends? What did Velma make for him? Why are there two monsters? Will the mystery ever be solved?

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	20. Chapter 20: Trapped!

This is where meddling gets serious.

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Lady Nightwisp: **My lips are sealed. -.-

**Stormbringer128: **(Thanks for not being in the mob). We'll see if your theory is right by the end of the chapter ;)

**Hipturtle15: **Glad you're liking the story so far ^-^

**Looneytunecrazy: **You're welcome, and thank you ^-^ And you may have something on Monroe ;)

**Psychpineapplelover: **(You're right, they ARE good, lol)… and believe me, never go over a week without updating- readers get edgy. Hope you had fun at camp by the time you read this chapter ;) Sorry for leaving you with so many questions, glad you liked Freddy's confusion, and I agree- There is no Scooby-Doo show in history where no one says that line!

**Tracker: **You got that right!

**RussM: **Couldn't agree more. Shaggy's always been my favorite character, so I decided to give him a bit of the spotlight :)

**Blackmoondragon1415: **And ages, and ages, and ages… lol. I must say, your reference to "Recess: School's Out" inspired something for this next chapter :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo or any other meddlers… confound it all.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was hopeless…

The monster got away, Shaggy never saw his friends again, Coolsville fell into despair, and all the remaining meddlers were grounded for weeks for endangering their lives…

In an alternate-universe! (You honestly think the story would wind up like that?)

Though, Shaggy felt all hope was lost, a bit of confidence happened to arrive- actually, several groups of confidence, I should say. "Shaggy, what's wrong?" Josie asked as she and her friends ran up to him. "We heard you screaming from down the street!"

"What happened?" Tinker asked as he, Debbie and Mark drove up in Speed Buggy. "We could hear cries for help from the neighborhood!"

"Same here!" Stanley Chan said as he and his siblings ran over. "We saw you running down the sidewalk and around the corner."

"Is everything alright?" Pepper asked as she, D.D. and Larry arrived.

"What's with all the screaming?" Puggsy asked as he, Kim, Biff and Fangface walked over.

"Like, the monster came out from nowhere and grabbed Velma and Scooby!" Shaggy explained. "I tried going after it, but it was too fast… and Freddy and Daphne are nowhere to be seen, either! I don't know where they are, and I don't know how to find them…"

"Don't worry, Shaggy. We'll help you!" Debbie assured him.

"Yeah, Daphne and Freddy are our friends, too." Mark said.

"And don't forget Velma. She's quite a nice girl," Henry Chan added.

"(sputter) And Scooby Doo, too!" Speed Buggy exclaimed.

"But you heard, Shaggy. There's no trace of them!" Alexander pointed out.

"I have an idea," A voice piped up, and everyone looked over and saw Dotty, accompanied by Woofer and Whimper.

"Dotty! I thought I told you to stay home," Larry scolded. "You'd better have a good reason for being out close to dark…"

"In fact, I do. I was showing Woofer and Whimper around the neighborhood, and I figured if I showed them around at night, they'd have better luck being our messengers."

Larry sighed. His little sister always had a good excuse. "Alright, but next time, wait until one of us is home or Mom and Dad, so someone can walk around with you, okay?"

"What's your idea?" Valerie asked.

"Well, Woofer and Whimper are hunting dogs, so they could pick up the scent of the monster and lead us to it, thus finding Freddy, Daphne, Velma and Scooby!" Dotty explained.

"That's a good idea, Dotty, but we haven't trained the dogs to sniff out anything, yet." D.D. said.

"Can you believe this?" Woofer sneered to Whimper. "They don't think we can sniff out that monster! Why, I could sniff out that creature in a heartbeat!"

"You mean like the time you were sniffing out that cat, and ended up in the mailbox?" Whimper asked, earning a scowl from the white blood-hound.

"Your dogs may not be able to sniff out the monster, but I think I know someone who can…" Kim said, looking over at Fangface.

"I configured sooner or later this would come up," Puggsy scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Do you think you can find a trace, Fangface?" Alan asked.

"(grr) Sure, I can track that monster down in a heartbeat!" Fangface exclaimed.

"Hey! I just said that!" Woofer snapped, though everyone just heard barking.

Fangface got on all fours and started to sniff. "The monster's trail leads that way, right toward the sunset-" he pointed forward, then his eyes widened. "Sun?"

Everyone watched as Fangface transformed back into Sherman. "Whoa! Hey… how'd I get all the way out here? And when did all of you guys show up?" he asked, confused.

"We'll explain later. Right now, we've got to help Shaggy find Freddy, Daphne, Velma, and Scooby!" Biff said.

"They were kidnapped by the monster!" Stanley said. Sherman only gulped.

"Well, c'mon guys. We've got a monster to catch!" Larry declared.

"Ha! What makes you think I'D risk my life going after some monster, again?" Alexandra sneered, holding Sebastian close.

"C'mon, Alexandra. Daphne needs all the help she can get!" Debbie said.

"Oh, please. It's her own fault she gets captured, anyway! I'm going home." Alexandra then stormed off.

"Well, you can still count us in," Josie said, and Valerie and Melody nodded.

"Me too… normally because I believe the monster is less scarier than my sister," Alexander said.

"I'm in too," Alan said. "If we all work together, we can take that monster down!"

"Count me in!" Alexandra exclaimed, zipping back over and standing close to Alan.

"Lets go, then!" Tinker said, motioning Shaggy to climb into Speed Buggy, while the other kids got on their bikes, skateboards, and scooters.

"Are you really going to go after that m-monster?" Sherman asked Shaggy.

"I've got to, Sherman." Shaggy said. "If my friends are in trouble, I'm not going to run home and hide under my bed- especially since I have a whole bunch of friends to help me out."

Sherman then stuck out his hand. "Count me in too, then. Any friends of yours are friends of mine…" he then gave a glance at Puggsy. "Except that kid. He gives me the creeps!"

"I heard that, Fangsworth!" Puggsy snapped, making Sherman flinch.

The kids then set off down the road, the trail leading them back to the most obvious location…

The old abandoned house.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Velma and Scooby both thrashed in the monster's grip, trying to get away. "Let us go!" Velma snapped, hitting the monster with the paper-bag she held. The monster gave her a jerk, hard enough to make her drop the bag outside, before hauling her and the pup back inside the abandoned house.

The monster threw Velma into the basement and locked the door, and dragged Scooby down the hall. "Relp! Romeone, relp!" Scooby wailed, as the monster locked him in a different room.

Velma had landed on the ground, her glasses once again falling from her face. "Darn it, not again…" she felt around the ground. "How many times am I going to lose my glasses?"

"They're right in front of you, a little to the left," A voice said to her.

"Oh, thanks." Velma found her glasses and put them on, and the first thing she saw was Daphne and Freddy both hanging from the ceiling, trapped inside a giant net, and she gasped. "Daphne? Freddy? How did YOU guys get down here?"

"Same way you did: the monster caught us," Freddy replied. "Where's Shaggy and Scooby?"

"Shaggy wasn't captured… but the monster still has Scooby."

"We've got to get out of here!" Daphne grunted, trying to break the ropes. Unfortunately, she wasn't carrying any grooming-supplies on her today, which could help her escape. "There is no way I'm going to let some grimy monster harass my friends, kidnap me twice, and trap me in a net with a nut-ball (no offense, Freddy) and get away with it!"

"You hold a grudge against anyone who gives you a bad hair day, don't you?" Freddy scoffed.

"You never heard about what I did to Hewey Schwartz in 3rd grade, did you- wait, what's wrong with my hair?"

Velma looked around the basement floor, seeing a piece of broken glass. "Don't worry, guys. I'll get you out… and I have an idea on how to catch the monster." she said, using the glass to saw at the ropes.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Shaggy and the others, in the meantime, sat on a hill in the tall grass, scoping out the scene. On the outside, they saw one monster prowling around the house; inside, another monster was keeping watch outside a window, eventually pulling itself back inside. "If we're going to save our friends, we're going to have to handle those monsters." Alan whispered.

"And I've got an idea," Larry said, then pointed at the Chan siblings, Debbie, Mark, Tinker and his own siblings. "You guys come with me, and we'll lead the monster on the outside away from the house long enough for the others to get inside."

"And Shaggy, Alexander, Alexandra Sherman, and Puggsy can look for Daphne, Freddy, and Velma, while the rest of us distract that other monster." Valerie said.

"Hold it, guys." Pepper said. "What if the monsters come after us during the rescue?"

"I can go get the police," Dotty suggested. "That way, we'll have backup."

"Good idea, Dotty." Biff agreed. "Then we can make an arrest once we capture them,"

"How exactly ARE we going to capture them?" Alexander asked.

"I know! We can lead them to the basement and lock them in there, until the police arrive!" Valerie suggested.

"It's the only good idea so far, I guess." Puggsy said with a shrug.

With that, the groups split up and began putting their plan into action.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The first Pet-Shop Prowler stood watch by the door, when suddenly it heard an engine, which began to sputter until the sound died out. It looked around the corner, seeing a group of kids standing around a small convertible. "Golly, what're we gonna do, now?" Tinker asked, sighing and scratching his head. "Our car breaks down in front of a creepy ol' house, and I don't have my tools with me!"

"I don't see how it could get worse, do you-" Henry began to ask, freezing when he saw his brother wearing a blonde wig, dress, and too much make-up. "What are you wearing?"

"My best dress, remember honey?" Stanley replied, using a high-pitched voice, and pinched his brother's cheek. "Now, why don't you kids stay out here, and I'll see if this house has a phone, so I can call your father to come pick us up?"

Henry could only slap his forehead.

"Um, whatever you say… 'mom'." D.D. said, a bit confused. "But, don't you think that house might be full of monsters?"

"Oh, don't be silly! There's no monsters within miles of here!" Pepper said, rather loudly. "Lets all go in that house. Maybe we'll FIND something neat inside while mom's making a call!"

The monster snarled, recognizing the meddlers, and snuck toward them… not noticing a few other meddlers sneaking toward the front door.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Debbie asked, acting innocent. "What if we FIND something we're NOT SUPPOSED to FIND?"

"Oh, c'mon! I'm sure the only thing we'll FIND in there is a few stray cats, bats, rats… and maybe a stray DOG," Larry added, slyly.

"Huh, boy… Remind me to give these kids a lesson in acting," Woofer scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Whimper sat in front of Woofer, his eyes widening when he saw the monster looming up behind the hound. "Um, Woofer?" he said, timidly.

"Why, if they think yelling loudly will draw out that monster, they've got another thing coming!"

"But, Woofer…"

"And even if that monster DID come around, it wouldn't dare come after us, with ME on guard! I'd chase that beast up a tree located at the end of the earth!"

"Then you'd b-better start c-chasing!"

"What are you talking about, kid? And why do you keep shaking like that?" Whimper pointed behind Woofer, who finally saw the monster standing behind him. "YIPE! Run for your life, Whimper!"

The two dogs ran toward the car, diving inside it, while the monster bounded toward the kids, who piled onto the car. "Now, Speedy!" Tinker cried, hitting a button on the remote.

"(sputter) Vroom-a-zoom-zoom!" Speed Buggy cried, shooting down the road.

The monster roared, running after the little car, vowing to make sure those kids wouldn't interfere anymore.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Hey, look at this," Josie whispered, finding a paper-bag on the ground in front of the door.

"That's the paper-bag Velma had!" Shaggy said, grabbing the bag.

"Ooh, ooh, what's inside it?" Sherman asked.

"Hey, look later. We've got to look for some missifying kids!" Puggsy hissed.

Shaggy tucked the bag away, and they entered the house.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The second Pet-Shop Prowler crept down the hallway, keeping it's ears open for anything suspicious… let alone insulting, considering the next thing it heard. "Hey, Melody, what do you call a monster with half a brain?" Valerie asked, loudly.

"What?" Melody asked.

"Gifted!"

"Oh, that's funny! For a second there, I thought you were going to say it was stupid!"

The monster roared and ran after them, chasing them down the hall… missing the trip-wire Biff and Kim held, which tripped it, making it fall down the stairs.

*Thonk!*

*Thud!*

*Crash!*

It landed at the bottom, seeing stars… and Alan and Josie. "Hey, big, hairy, and ugly! Have you looked in a mirror, lately?" Alan teased.

The monster ran toward them-

*Smash!*

Only to crash into a mirror. On the other side of the room, Alan and Josie met up with Biff, Kim, Valerie, and Melody, and they took off when the monster came to and chased after them back up the stairs-

*THUD!*

…where it realized it forgot about the trip-wire.

Shaggy, Puggsy, Sherman, Alexandra, and Alexander peeked out from behind some old curtains. "The monster's gone. Lets move!" Puggsy whispered.

"Last time the monster locked Daphne in the basement," Shaggy said.

"Then we'll check there, first." Alexandra replied.

"A-Are you s-sure? M-Maybe it l-locked them in a d-d-different room… maybe a less dark and creepy one?" Sherman stammered.

"I'm with the wolf-kid. Lets check somewhere l-less c-creepy," Alexander gulped.

"Oh, shut up and come on, you chickens," Alexandra sneered, walking toward the basement.

"Hold on," Shaggy said, then put on a helmet. "I'm not going to risk any brain-damage THIS time."

Alexandra sneered. "How can you tell?"

"Oh, come on, Shaggy! Looking into a creepifying basement won't give you any concussionaries!" Puggsy scoffed.

"Not if you ask me," Shaggy replied.

Puggsy rolled his eyes. "I'll prove it to you… Fangsworth, you take a look behind the door."

"WHAT? Why me, Puggsy?" Sherman demanded.

Puggsy glowered at him. "Because I SAID so,"

Sherman cringed. "Okay…" he opened the door, looking inside. "Hey, you're right! It's perfectly safe!"

"See? I TOLD you so! Now lets go down and look," Puggsy scoffed, walking down the basement stairs-

*WHACK!*

…And was seeing stars the next minute. "Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry!" Daphne gasped, once again holding a plank of wood. "I-I thought you were the monster!"

Puggsy sat up, dazed. "Geez, just when I thought your danger-proneness wasn't contagious…" he muttered, rubbing his head.

"I think I just experienced déjà vu…" Shaggy said, scratching his head.

"Guys! You found us!" Velma exclaimed.

"Yeah, and right now, we've got to get the others and find a way to get rid of those monsters!" Alexandra said.

"_Those_ monsters?" Daphne questioned.

"Two of 'em, and we have a plan on how to captivate 'em!" Puggsy said, and they began heading upstairs. "The others will lead them into the basement and we'll lockify them down there, and by that time Dotty will have arrived with the police, and our monstrisized troubles will be over!"

"You never paid attention in English, did you?" Alexandra sneered, earning a scowl from Puggsy.

"But where's Scooby? We've got to find him, too!" Shaggy said, running down the hallway.

"Shaggy, come back!" Daphne called, but Shaggy wouldn't stop.

"Gang way!" Biff called from upstairs, and the others looked up to see him, Kim, Josie, Alan, Valerie and Melody running down the stairs, pursued by one monster.

They heard shouts from outside, growing louder. "Look out! Look out! LOOK OUT!" Debbie was screaming, as Speed Buggy crashed through the front door, screeching to a stop and jerking the kids off of him… the other monster right behind them.

The two monsters looked at each other growling, but turned their attention back to the kids, prowling toward them. "Please tell me you have a Plan 'B'…" Alexander whimpered to Larry.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Scooby, ol' buddy, ol' friend, ol' pal, where are you?" Shaggy called as he searched room after room.

"Raggy!" came a familiar voice. Shaggy ran over to the door it came from and tore it open-

*WHUMP!*

…getting tackled by the Great Dane pup later, and found himself getting covered in slurps. "Scooby! You're okay!" Shaggy exclaimed, hugging the pup. "C'mon, lets get out of here!"

"R'I'm right rehind ya!" Scooby said, and the duo ran down the hall…

Pausing when they saw the other kids cornered. "Like, oh no…" Shaggy gasped as he and Scooby ducked behind the stairway, out of sight. "Those two creeps got the others trapped! What're we going to do?"

Scooby reached out and pulled out a superhero comic book, then pointed to himself and his friend. "We could rave 'em."

Shaggy threw his arms up in the air. "How, Scoob? We're not real superheroes!" The paper bag then dropped out of his shirt, landing in an open position, and the duo looked inside, a smirk appearing on Shaggy's face. "Or ARE we?"

"R'are we?" Scooby asked, cocking his head.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Hey Tinker, why don't you have your car run these creeps over? Or, Fangsworth, turn into a werewolf? Maybe you could sick your hounds on them, Larry?" Alexandra commented, trying to hide her fear with smart remarks.

"No way, Speedy's a car, not a killing machine! …Plus, he's as scared as I am!" Tinker replied as he and Speed Buggy held onto each other.

"Same with Woofer and Whimper. They're just pups!" Larry added.

"_Why_ does everyone keep saying I'm a werewolf?" Sherman demanded, having sounded annoyed if he wasn't frightened.

"I never thought it would end like this…" Freddy said, then turned to Daphne. "Daphne, in case these monsters get rid of us… for good… I just want you to know you made this investigation the highlight of my summer."

"Right back at you, Freddy," Daphne replied.

The monsters were now inches away from them, snarling and looming over…

"Stop right there, evil-doers!" a voice shouted, and the kids and monsters looked up, seeing two figures dressed in blue superhero outfits, looking vaguely familiar, standing on the stair-landing above. "Or suffer the wrath of Commander Cool, and Mellow Mutt!"

"Reah, rop right there!" The other superhero snarled.

"You have GOT to be kidding me…" Alexandra sneered.

"C'mon, we've got to help!" Freddy said, and the kids ran across the room, finding supplies to help the duo.

"No way, I'm not going after those creeps!" Sherman stammered.

"Oh, for heaven's sakes… Look at the moon!" Puggsy snapped, grabbing Sherman and forcing him to look out the window.

In a swirl, Sherman changed back into Fangface, who glowered at Puggsy, who quickly let go. "C'mon, guys, help us out!" Kim called, and they ran over, helping her tear down a curtain.

The monsters snarled, running after the two 'superheroes'. Commander Cool pushed a button on his utility belt, making marbles shoot around and scatter around the ground, making one monster slip. Mellow Mutt shot a wire out of his utility belt, making it wrap around the other monster's legs and trip it. But it would take more to keep the two Pet-Shop Prowlers down.

Commander Cool looked inside a comic book, then tapped Mellow Mutt on the shoulder, showing him a page, then pointed over at an old chandelier. His sidekick nodded, and they stood on the railing, making faces at the monsters. "Kids too strong for you, creeps?" Commander Cool teased, while Mellow Mutt blew a raspberry.

The monsters snarled and lunged, leaping toward them…

Commander Cool took out a small toy dart gun, shooting it toward the chandelier with a wire on it, and he and Mellow Mutt swung down seconds before the monsters could grab them. The Pet-Shop Prowlers fell to the ground…

Where the other meddlers had built a trap made of curtains and old ropes, trapping the monsters in the largest bag they had ever built.

"We did it!" Daphne exclaimed, as she and her girl-friends cheered.

"What do you know? Those two idiots actually did something right!" Alexandra said, impressed.

"Did you hear that, ol' buddy? We're heroes!" Commander Cool (aka Shaggy) exclaimed, not noticing the chandelier was breaking. "We-"

"Guys, look out!" Stanley shouted as the chandelier finally broke.

Scooby and Shaggy both gasped, falling to the ground with the chandelier-

*CRASH!*

-which landed on the monsters, while Speed Buggy and Fangface caught the two costumed cowards. "Hey, look at us! (grr) We're heroes of a couple heroes!" Fangface exclaimed.

"(sputter) Don't get anymore heroic than that!" Speed Buggy agreed.

"Yep… They can do something right but STILL goof up," Puggsy said to Alexandra.

Velma walked over to the monsters. "Now lets see who these monsters really are," she said.

"Do you guys have any idea who they might be?" Daphne asked the other meddlers.

"Well, there's Missy…" Tinker said. "She has a grudge against Monroe,"

"And then there's Mr. O'Rally," Henry said. "He wanted the store,"

"And then there's that mysterious man…" Shaggy added.

"Those are some pretty good guesses, guys, but I believe we ALL know who it is…" Freddy boasted. "It was obviously-"

Red Herring then appeared in the window, grabbing Freddy by the shirt-collar. "Say my name, and you'll be gumming your food, Jones!" he snarled. "Plus, I've been visiting my grandmother, so cross me off the list! …Weenie." He then left.

Freddy blinked. "Um… Never mind."

Velma grabbed the monsters by their heads. "Sorry, guys, but I believe all your guesses are wrong." she said. "Our real culprits are-"

**~THIS JUST IN!~**

**Due to a freak hamster break-out, the authoress was unable to finish this chapter, having been summoned to look for the furry little rodent before it breaks into the White House and try to take over the nation… again.**

**She wishes that you all please review, send some constructive criticism, and stay tuned for the next chapter, and was also disappointed to say that the story is nearing its end.**

**That is all.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Boy and His Dog

**~News Bulletin!~**

**America can sleep well tonight, for the deranged hamster has been apprehended and is now been taken into custody by the authoress, having been put in a more stable, steel cage.**

**We now return to our regular-scheduled chapter.**

_**Reviewer THANK YOUS!**_

**Stormbringer128: **I enjoy throwing out random cliff-hangers. As for your suspense… (takes out mallet) *BAM!* …There. No more suspense! ^-^

**Blackmoondragon1415: **I enjoy all the meddlers on tv, so I couldn't just leave them out. And you are correct on the monster-bit ;)

**Hipturtle15: **(nice name, btw) Please hold back on the freak-out! And I'm glad you liked Scooby and Shaggy's 'Hero' bit and the chase-music chapter!

Disclaimer: Heck, this is a special-occasion! I'm skipping it!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Velma pulled off the monster's masks, revealing the culprits to be…

"Mr. Monroe and Christy?" The other kids gasped.

"I knew it all the time," Woofer bragged to Whimper, who only rolled his eyes.

"I figured they were behind the monster-charade when Freddy and I met Christy," Velma stated. "Christy had been wearing a pink scrunchy, the same clue that was found at the crime-scene the day before she arrived. And she also had a scratch on her arm the day after our first encounter with the monster- who had scraped its arm when it crashed through the window."

"She also knew that Scooby was a Doo, even though we hadn't brought it up," Freddy added.

"Then there's Mr. Monroe," Freddy said, taking over. "He had offered a reward for Scooby, even though he was just another puppy he could sell,"

"Hmph!" Scooby, Woofer, and Whimper all scoffed, offended.

"Then we learned that he was keeping Scooby's family from taking him back home, bargaining with them for an entire fortune, then got a restraining order against them when they refused." Daphne added, and held up the golden collar. "He probably hid this gift from them as well, keeping it from Scooby so he'd think his parents forgot about him, just to crush his hope."

"Jerk!" Debbie snapped.

"Yeah, I'M not even THAT cruel!" Alexandra sneered.

Dotty walked in just then, followed by Detective Chan, two police officers… and the Mysterious Man. "There they are, officers! The creeps are right over there!" she said.

"L-Like, and there's another creep right beside you!" Shaggy gasped, referring to the mysterious man.

"Do not be deceived, Mr. Rogers," Detective Chan said. "This is my associate, Detective Lance, from New York. He came to Coolsville, having been called by the authorities to help investigate the Pet-Shop Prowlers' crimes."

"When people heard I was in town, I was hired by Mister and Missus Doo to find their son," Detective Lance said, giving Scooby and Shaggy a look. "I TRIED to talk to him about it, but he and his scrawny friend kept running off!"

Daphne, Freddy, and Velma gave Shaggy and Scooby stern glances. "Like how were WE supposed to know he was a detective?" Shaggy said, defensively. "It's not everyday you see an investigator with a missing tooth and glass eye- er, no offence, sir."

"*sigh* None taken… (why do they always freak out about the eye?)"

"What I want to know is, why were you guys after Scooby, in the first place?" Daphne questioned.

"It was basically my NIECE who started the whole thing," Mr. Monroe grumbled. "She put on the costume first and broke into my shop, trying to get the dog!"

"Only because you weren't going to sell it under a million dollars!" Christy snapped. "Those Doo Dane pups are a rare breed of Great Dane, and I've been raiding every pet-shop in the county looking for one. When I heard Uncle Monroe had one but wouldn't sell it, I had to take matters into my own hands!"

"After that, I decided to get in on the monster-act myself. I made my own Prowler costume to try to scare Christy away, making her believe there was a REAL monster in town, and find Scooby before she could! I found him with the Blake girl and took them to the abandoned house outside of town, deciding to hide them there until morning then come back for them. …Unfortunately, there were a bunch of OTHER kids on my trail, and I couldn't blow my cover, so I decided to snatch a few of them to warn others not to interfere."

"I did the same thing, when I noticed a few nosy-children were getting too close to spoiling everything."

"I have a question, though." Puggsy asked. "What's so rare about Doo Danes?"

Christy sneered. "Know any OTHER breeds of dogs that can talk?"

"She's got a point," Shaggy said, shrugging.

The police then cuffed the criminals. "I would have had that puppy in my hands if it wasn't for you meddling kids!"

"And you OTHER meddling kids!" Mr. Monroe snapped to the rest of the kids.

"Gentlemen, please escort these two to the nearest jail-cell, if you wouldn't mind." Detective Chan said, then turned to the kids. "And if I were you, children, I'd get back homes. We've been getting many calls from parents about their kids missing- That goes double for Stanley, Henry, and Suzie."

"Yes, pop…" Henry said.

"And if you could refrain from running away for a mere ten minutes, I'd like to escort the Doo's puppy home." Detective Lance said to Shaggy.

"We'll take him there, Detective," Daphne said, putting her arm around Scooby. "After all, I DID promise Scooby I'd help him see his parents again."

"R'oh boy! Ret's ro!" Scooby exclaimed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The kids took Scooby to the Doo's mansion, and when the two parenting Great Danes opened the door to see their son, the kids could've sworn they heard party-favors and saw confetti falling. "Ry ron is rome rat rast!" Missus Doo cried, hugging Scooby tightly.

"We rissed rou, ron!" Mister Doo said, joining in the embrace.

"R'aw, I rissed rou too," Scooby said, tears of joy falling out of his eyes.

The Doo's invited the kids in, rewarding them by treating them to dinner. "I ran't rank rou enough for returning Scoobert," Missus Doo said.

Scooby shoved a roll in Shaggy's mouth, before he could burst out laughing.

"We were glad to help, Missus Doo," Daphne replied, then looked at her watch. "Jeepers! It's getting late!"

"Yeah, we'd better start getting home, before our parents decide to ground us all for the whole summer!" Freddy added.

The kids headed for the door, Shaggy pausing and turning back to Scooby. "Well, Scoob… I guess this is where we go our separate ways," he said, sighing heavily. He handed Scooby his 'Mellow Mutt' costume, and another bag of homemade dog-treats. "Here… Maybe one of these days, we could visit each other."

Scooby gave him a look. "I ron't rink so," he scoffed, then walked over to his parents, whispering something to them.

Shaggy hung his head low, and began walking toward the door…

"Raggy!"

He turned around, and Scooby leaped into his arms, having a suitcase with him.

"Rot a spare room?"

"You mean… you want to come home… with me?" Shaggy asked, stunned. Scooby nodded, and he hugged the pup tight. "Like, you bet, Scoob ol' buddy, ol' pal! …Though, I'll have to check with my parents, first."

Scooby licked Shaggy's face, and the other kids chuckled. "I guess it's true what they say," Velma said. "There's no stronger bond than between a boy and his dog."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Well, just a couple chapters left before the ending… (Anyone else this mystery went by, too fast?)

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	22. Chapter 22: Dances and Carnivals

I've got write-fever, which is why I'm updating so fast! (typing rapidly at computer, fingers catch fire) AUGH!

My kitty: (rushes in with fire extinguisher) *pssssshhhhh!* Meow.

Me: Thank you, mew.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Dr. Thinker: **Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the mystery :)

**Lady Nightwisp: **Yay, I pulled the unexpected! ^-^ Thank you.

**Looneytunecrazy: **Lol, glad you liked those parts (And I have a feeling it'll be a running gag for Shaggy in the near future) And I couldn't help but throw in a 'cute' moment between Fred and Daphne ;) …Pinky and the Brain, boy that takes me waaaay back, lol.

**Blackmoondragon1415: **(innocently) Squeal? What squeal? I didn't hear (or read) a squeal… lol. (tosses you Scooby-snack) Congrats on your guessing! …And I'm sure Velma does feel the same way ;) …Well, here's a chapter to stall from the ending! Enjoy!

**Hipturtle15: **Wow, I blew your mind, too? …Sweet! :D (here's some Scooby-snacks for your guessing, too ^-^)

Disclaimer: As I've been saying for the past 20+ chapters, I OWN NOTHING! Now, stop harassing me and get on with the chapter!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was the last week of school before summer vacation, and not only were all the kids excited about the next three months of freedom (minus the two weeks of groundage by their parents for being out late and chasing monsters), but also the school dance and the carnival. Since all the meddling kids had helped out in catching the crooks, they decided to call the competition off and all received free tickets to the carnival, and all chose the perfect theme for the dance: Midnight Meddler Mania.

The dance was to take place before the carnival, and all the boys were going around school, asking out the girls… well, except Alexandra, who decided to do the reverse. "So, Alan, what say you and I head to the dance together?" she asked, sweetly (yikes).

"Thanks for the offer, Alexandra, but I'm already going with Josie," Alan replied, then walked off.

Alexandra could only fume and hit her head on the nearest locker. "Ooh, one of these days I'm going to get that girl for stealing my man!"

There was also some hype in the school about another new student… though, since the kids had already met him (both of him, I should say) it wasn't all that much of a surprise. "Like, hey, Sherman." Shaggy said, meeting up with the former home-schooled kid. "What brings you to Middle School on the last week?"

"My mom figured, now that I made a few friends, it would be okay for me to come to a real school," Sherman replied, putting his books away. "I can't help but wonder what made her wait this long. Maybe it's just some sort of empty-nest syndrome," he lifted up a science book, which coincidently had a picture of the moon on it.

One tornado-twirl later, Fangface arrived. "Arrrooooooo!" the young werewolf howled.

"No howling in the hallways," A teacher said as she walked by, not too phased about seeing a werewolf-student.

"Welcome to Junior High, Fangface," Kim said as she and Biff walked by. "How does it feel to be the werewolf of the school?"

"(grr) It would feel better if I could find that 'Puggsy' kid!" Fangface replied, then ran down the hall in search for him.

The kids ran after him, pausing when they saw Red and Puggsy by the lockers. "Time for payback for yesterday, shrimp!" Red growled, raising his fist, then felt a tap on his shoulder. "Beat it, man. Can't you see that I'm-" …A growl interrupted him, and he slowly turned around. "…busy?" he took one look at Fangface, and all the color drained from his face. "YIPE!" he dropped Puggsy and took off.

"Uh, thanks," Puggsy said awkwardly, as the werewolf helped him up.

"Hey, if anyone's gonna be harassing you (grr) It oughtta be me. (grr) Me, me." Fangface said, brushing him off, then cocked his head to the side. "Say, how come you're wearing that hood up?"

Puggsy shrugged. "Eh, it's my style…"

"I figured that 'style' was over now that you started talking, again." Biff said.

"Like, how come you never talked in the first place?" Shaggy asked.

"On my first day of school, everyone laughed at my vocabulization, Red and Alexandra kept poking fun at me for it, so I decided to just shut up," Puggsy replied.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it," Velma said, walking up. "New words are invented every day, so what's there to joke about?"

"And if anyone keeps teasing you about it, we'll back you up," Biff assured.

"(grr) Yeah, yeah! We'll back you up!" Fangface added.

"Take off the hood already," Daphne said, passing by. "You look better without it,"

Puggsy pulled his hood back, and Fangface rubbed his chin. "Hmm… I think your 'style' needs a little tweaking…" he said, then took off his gray hat with a black stripe and removed Puggsy's red cap, placing his hat on his head. "There! (grr) That looks better."

Puggsy looked into the mirror, examining his new look. "Not bad…" he said, impressed. "But, what are you going to wear?"

"Maybe since you're wearing his hat, he could wear yours." Shaggy suggested.

Fangface put on the red cap. "What do you think?" he asked.

Puggsy shrugged. "Not sure it'll catch on, but it looks good on you." he replied.

"Oh, please. Just because you two switch hats, doesn't mean you look good!" Alexandra sneered. "You're still as ugly as bef-"

"OH, SHUT UP ALREADY, ALEXANDRA!" All the other girls snapped, finally fed up with their friend's snobbiness.

"Can't you go ONE DAY without insulting someone?" Debbie sneered.

"Yeah, all you do is point out flaws, and we're getting sick of it!" Valerie agreed.

"My mom told me if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all," Dotty said. "And in this case, you ought to be mute!"

"Why don't you at least ATTEMPT to be kind, for once?" Daphne said. "…And find a new hairstyle!"

Alexandra only fumed. "Ah, who needs you girls, anyway?" she scoffed, then stormed off.

"Give her time, she'll cool off." Josie said.

"Yeah, and maybe there's a group of kids solving mysteries with a funky phantom!" Debbie said, sarcastically.

"Well, girls, what say we hit the mall and find some outfits for the dance?" Daphne suggested, and the girls cheered in agreement.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The school dance started at seven, and all the couples were there. Slow music eventually began to play, and it was one of those times where the boys stood at one side of the room and the girls stood on the other, waiting for someone to break the ice, yet everyone was too shy. "C'mon, Josie, you and Alan are the Class Couple. You ought to do it!" Valerie whispered to her friend.

"If she doesn't do it, I will," Alexandra said, determined to win Alan, and walked over… only to slip on some spilled punch and fall into a garbage can. Sebastian, who sat on the buffet table, could only snicker.

"You ask a girl," Tinker said to Speed Buggy.

"(sputter) No, way. You're more of a man than I am," Speed Buggy replied.

"Me? Oh, no. YOU'RE the one built with nerves of steel,"

"Why don't you ask one of the guys, Kim?" Debbie asked. "You've been hanging around with at least three of them- four if you count the werewolf."

"You hang you with a couple guys, too. You do ask one!" Kim retorted.

The only ones who weren't nervous about asking someone to dance were Shaggy and Scooby… but that was because they were too busy stuffing their faces at the buffet table. "Like, this is the only reason I come to a school dance," Shaggy was saying to a few other boys who could care less about dancing. "Endless buffet!"

"Endless up until you and your pup get to it," Alexander said. "Save some for the rest of us!"

"Yeah, at this rate, I might end up swallowing Puggsy out of starvation! (grr)" Fangface scoffed. Puggsy gasped and hid under the table. "(snort) Oh, for gosh sakes, I was only kidding!"

Scooby was now at the punch bowl, getting a drink, until he noticed he missed a few cupcakes, and reached over, his foot sticking out…

And accidentally tripping Shaggy. "Yeow!" he cried, sliding onto the dance floor…

Right in front of Velma. "Shaggy! Are you alright?" she asked, helping him up.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Shaggy began, then noticed everyone was looking at them, and the DJ had put on another slow-jam.

There was a slight pause, as everyone watched them. "Well, don't just stand there, you ignorpotomas! Dance with her!" Puggsy called.

"Um… _would_ you like to dance?" Velma asked, blushing slightly.

Shaggy rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "Zoinks, I've never danced before… especially with a girl…" he said quietly, then shrugged. "I guess there's a first time for everything." Taking Velma's hands, they slowly began to dance, and eventually all the other kids joined in as well.

Alexandra crawled out of the garbage can, just in time to see Alan and Josie in each other's arms. "Darn it!" she snapped, stomping her foot, then walked out.

"Man, what a drama-queen," D.D. said, as he slow-danced with Melody. "Is she ALWAYS like that?"

"You should see her when she's mad," Melody said, giggling.

Freddy and Daphne were the only couple who weren't dancing. "So… you wouldn't mind slow-dancing to one song with a nut-case, would you?" Freddy asked.

Daphne shrugged. "Only if you don't mind dancing with a beauty-queen," she replied.

And then they finally danced.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The dance ended two hours later, and the kids rushed to the carnival. Most of the couples rode on the ferris wheel: Alan with Josie, Daphne and Freddy, Velma and Shaggy, Mark and Debbie, Biff and Kim… and, by default, Puggsy and Fangface. "How come everyone else gets a girl, and I got stuckified with _you_?" Puggsy sneered.

"(grr) Just lucky, I guess." Fangface replied with a shrug.

Tinker and Pepper stood at a games-booth, where they had to throw a ball at a target and dunk someone into a small pool. "I've got a swell throwing arm. What say I win you a prize?" Tinker asked.

"Go ahead. Some of these games are rigged, so I doubt you could get anyone in that tank," Pepper replied.

Meanwhile, Alexandra was sitting on top of a booth with a bucket full of water. "Alan may think Josie is all that, but soon he'll just think she's all wet!" she said, mischievously, waiting for Alan and Josie to walk by…

Tinker threw the ball, which bounced off the target, ricocheted off a pole, and conveniently hit Alexandra in the head, making her fall into the pool!

*Splash!*

"I stand corrected," Pepper said, as the booth-runner handed Tinker a large stuffed bear.

All the Chan kids stood at a booth where you had to knock over a pyramid of bottles. "Watch this one, guys. In Little League, I was the pitching champ!" Stanley bragged, throwing the ball…

Rather than hitting the bottles, he hit the booth-runner by accident. "Yeah, now you're the pitching chump," Anne remarked.

"Ah, anyone can miss on the first throw!"

Their dog, Chu Chu, hopped onto the counter and batted a ball with his paw, swatting it toward the stack and knocking the bottles clean-over! The booth-runner handed the pup a toy bone, which he began to chew on, making all the Chan kids laugh.

Scooby, Woofer, Whimper, Speed Buggy, and Sebastian in the meantime hit all the snack-booths. "Being at a carnival is pretty fun, especially now that those monsters are gone," Whimper said.

"Rou raid it!" Scooby agreed, munching on a hotdog.

"Aw, I wasn't scared of those monsters one bit!" Woofer boasted. "I could tell they were fakes the whole time. I have a cunning eye which helps me spot fact from fiction!" A creepy shadow appeared on a wall next to him, and he yelped and hid under the table. "It's another Prowler! Hide!"

"Ripe!" Scooby ducked under the table too.

Whimper looked over, seeing Sebastian standing in front of a light, making a monstrous pose. "You know, Sebastian, if you keep that up, someone's gonna up and scare the daylights out of you, next." he said to the cat.

"Meah," Sebastian sneered.

*VROOOM!*

"REEOW!" The cat ran up the nearest pole, his fur sticking out from fright.

Speed Buggy looked up, chuckling. "That'll teach ya, (sputter) you bad kitty," he said.

The carnival was then hosting a pet-show, and all the kids entered. "Do pet cars count?" Tinker asked the official, who shook his head 'no'. "Darn it…"

"Like, don't worry, Tinker. You and Speed Buggy can help us sponsor Scooby," Velma said.

All the animals stood along a line as the judges looked them over. "I don't see why YOU guys are entering," Alexandra sneered, hugging Sebastian. "My cat is sure to beat all of your lousy pets!"

"You're entering your cat? I thought you were entering that skunk on your head," Puggsy retorted.

Alexandra sneered. "Said the boy who doesn't even HAVE a pet!"

Puggsy scowled, then looked over at Fangface. "Or DO I?"

"Do you?" Fangface asked, then noticed the sly grin on Puggsy's face. "Oh, no no no! (grr) You're not making ME enter as some show-wolf! (snarl) No way, no way!"

"C'mon… I'll be your best friend,"

Fangface sighed. "Fine… But if we lose, you're gonna regret it! (grr)"

The judges came across Larry, D.D., Pepper, and Dotty's dogs. "My, this is the most hansom little pup I've ever seen!" One of them said.

"You hear that, kid? This judge finds me hansom!" Woofer said, proudly.

The judge rubbed Whimper's head. "Yes, he's a cute one alright,"

Whimper smiled at Woofer, who scowled. "These competitions are rigged, I tell ya!"

"Alright, here they come, Fangface. Act. Naturally." Puggsy whispered.

"Right. Natural. Natur-" Fangface began to repeat, then noticed a picture of the sun on a booth, and changed back into Sherman.

The judges arrived. "Where's your pet?" One of them asked.

"Uh… right here!" Puggsy said quickly, grabbing Sebastian-

*WHACK!*

…only to get clobbered by Alexandra. "Keep your hands off my cat, you clod!" she snapped.

"How did I get here?" Sherman asked, scratching his head.

"Oh, can it, Fangs, and go get me an ice-pack!" Puggsy sneered.

"Fangs? Who's that?"

"It's you, who else?"

Sherman's eyes beamed. "You mean… it's my own nickname?"

"It was either that or 'Pin-Head', which I don't mind calling you, either. Not get moving!"

The judges then came up to Scooby and the gang. "Well, well, a Doo Dane pup. These are quite rare," One judge said. "I believe your pet earns a ribbon for 'Most Unique'."

The gang cheered as Scooby got a ribbon. "I always believed he was one of a kind," Shaggy said, putting his arm around his dog, then reached into his pocket. "And I got another prize for him, too…" he pulled out a blue-green collar with a diamond-shaped tag, with Scooby's initials on it. "Ta-da! I had it made for you, Scooby-Doo."

"R'aw, Raggy!" Scooby said, hugging his friend.

Speed Buggy turned to Tinker. "(sputter) How come YOU never get me anything nice?" he asked.

"Don't start!" Tinker replied.

Time was starting to fly, and the kids new they had only a few minutes left before the carnival shut down. "Where should we go, next?" Daphne asked, looking around at all the rides and attractions.

Freddy paused at one attraction, a grin appearing on his face. "How about in here?" he asked.

The others looked up at the attraction: "The Haunted House of Horrors". Scooby and Shaggy turned to walk away, but the others were already pulling them inside.

Red Herring happened to see them go in. "I'll give those weenies a REAL scare," he said, chuckling to himself, then walked in wearing a monster-mask. He waited around the corner for them, watching as Scooby and Shaggy rounded the corner.

"Ripes! A ronster!" Scooby gasped.

"Holy cow! A talking dog!" Red ran out, screaming.

The others watched the bully one. "Wow, Freddy… the one time Red is a monster, and you didn't even accuse him!" Daphne said.

"That doesn't count. I didn't even know!" Freddy scoffed.

The kids then walked home, and went to bed, tired out from the day's events. A lot had changed for them and their friends the past two weeks… then a new mystery came up for them.

How long would it last?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I decided to throw in one last moment for the cameos before the final chapter. Finally coming up next!

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


	23. Chapter 23: The End, or The Beginning?

*sniffle* hello, dear readers… I'm a little hesitant in writing this next chapter, because… *weep* IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER! *bursts out crying*

*pauses* Ah, well. We had a good run.

**Reviewer Thanks For Reading!**

**Hipturtle15: **Thanks ^-^

**Dr. Fan-mai-lover: **It's not quite the end (yet), and I'm glad you enjoyed all the Speed Buggy references. I'll be sure to write a Green Lantern/Scooby-Doo crossover, though it may be a while, and I'll need some inspiration (note to self: see movie later)

**Looneytunecrazy: **Well, SOMEONE had to tell Alexandra off sooner or later, lol. Glad you liked the Funky Phantom ref. …I couldn't help but throw in a bit of FredxDaphne, though (referring to the Pup series) they still have a loooong way to go, lol. Glad you liked this story so much, and the mystery is: will their new friendship last? (I believe we all know the answer to that) ;) Glad you liked the last chapter too (sadly, though, I didn't catch the Johnny Quest cameo in the new series) and here's some Scooby-snacks for your guessing! ^-^

**Lady Nightwisp: **Thank you ^-^

**Blackmoondragon1415: **Thanks, and double thanks for the fire extinguisher. Glad you liked it (and I agree- it WAS the best kind of revenge, wasn't it?) …I feel your sadness.

Disclaimer: The story is ending, and to add insult to injury, I don't own Scooby-Doo. (I love writing fics about him, though! =D)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was the last day of school, and all the kids were slowly walking down the block, hesitant to 'split up' this time. "So… what are you guys going to do this summer?" Freddy asked.

"My parents and I are taking a Caribbean cruise for the next three weeks, then it's a trip to Rome," Daphne replied, and as fun as the trip sounded, there was a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Scoob and I are probably just going to lounge around the treehouse, have a little siesta and relax," Shaggy said, giving a solemn shrug.

"I'm planning on going to a comic-book convention," Freddy said, lightly kicking a stone. "May not be as fun as the last two weeks, but hey."

"I told some of my friends back in my old hometown that I'd go visit them for a couple of weeks." Velma said, though seeing her old friends compared nothing to being with her new ones. "They heard about our story on the news, and want full details. …I wish you guys could meet them."

"If they're anything like you, we'd love to meet them, too." Daphne said.

They passed by Monroe's pet-store, where the mystery that brought them together began in the first place, and saw Mr. O'Rally standing out front, cleaning a window. He was wearing more casual clothes now, rather than his usual business suit and sunglasses, and he smiled at the kids as they passed by. "Hey, there's the kids I wanted to see," he said, cheerfully.

"Mr. O'Rally? What are you doing by the pet-store?" Freddy asked.

"Well, after Monroe got arrested, I was finally able to purchase it, and I'm going a few renovations on it. I'm going to add on to it, and turn it into a pet-shelter rather than a store. That way, rather than feeling like merchandise, all the homeless animals that live here will actually feel at home. I'll be hiring a new staff from the Humane Society to help out,"

"That's a wonderful thing you're doing, Mr. O'Rally!" Daphne exclaimed. "Hopefully you'll be a lot friendlier than Monroe,"

"Monroe was a greedy fool. I only open shops to make sure animals get a good home, and eventually I decided to make them into shelters. I'll be buying that old house's property so I can expand my business, so there'll always be room for more."

"R'aw, row sweet…" Scooby said.

"Yep, and it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you little meddlers, and your pup," Mr. O'Rally then pulled out a check. "Which is why, in gratitude, I've decided to reward you with this check for $100."

"Whoa! Just when I thought he couldn't get any more generous," Shaggy said, eyes wide.

"That's really nice, Mr. O'Rally, but we were just helping out Scooby." Velma said. "We couldn't possibly accept your money,"

Mr. O'Rally shrugged. "If you insist. I'm still grateful for your help, anyway." he said.

"Hey, we like to help," Freddy said, and the kids continued their way.

Down the block, they saw Missy Misterson, only something looked different about her…

She actually looked happy, and she was holding a glass bowl with a goldfish in it. "Hey, guys," she said, cheerfully. "Like my new fish?"

"Nice, Missy. You get it from O'Rally?" Velma guessed.

Missy nodded. "Yeah, and it looks just like the one I wanted when I was younger! Best of all, he decided to let my father join his business, so we don't have to break the bank to get by, anymore!" With that, she happily walked off.

"Wow, take down one bad guy, and everyone has a personality change," Shaggy said, amazed.

"I'll say. …This is the first time Missy and I encountered each other without swapping insults!" Daphne added, equally amazed.

Freddy then began to think. "You know… we DID help out a lot of people by solving a mystery," he said, rubbing his chin. "Maybe we ought to do it more often,"

Daphne shrugged. "Freddy, for once, I agree with you. I mean, if there's other crooks out there like Monroe and Christy, then there's sure to be a lot more mysteries that need to be solved,"

"I DO enjoy solving a good mystery," Velma said, grinning.

The three of them looked at Scooby and Shaggy. "Alright, alright, I'll admit it WAS a little fun capturing a couple crooks," Shaggy said, rolling his eyes. "…Except for the part about the monsters, creepy houses, being out after dark, and did I mention the monsters?"

"Reah, reah," Scooby agreed.

"Perhaps, since we all make a good team, maybe we should set up our own detective headquarters," Freddy said.

"Like, yeah! We could use the treehouse in my backyard! It has a TON of high-tech stuff- courtesy of Velma- we can use… and a bottomless fridge!" Shaggy exclaimed.

"What would we call it, though?" Daphne asked. "I mean, if we're going into the detective business, we ought to have a good name for it."

"How about… Mystery Incorporated?" Freddy suggested.

The kids looked at each other. "Nah," they all replied, shaking their heads, figuring the name would never catch on.

"Hey, I know! Since Scooby was the one who brought us together, we could name it after him!" Shaggy said.

"Yeah, we could call it the 'Scooby-Doo Detective Agency'!" Velma agreed.

"Sounds catchy enough," Daphne said.

"I still like 'Mystery Inc.' better, but that name works too." Freddy said, shrugging.

"R'oh, rou guys rake me rush!" Scooby chuckled, blushing.

"So… now what?" Shaggy asked.

"Well, we can't just put our previous plans on hold…" Daphne said, pondering. "Unless another mystery suddenly pops up."

They past by a TV-appliance store, just in time to see a news broadcast on several sets. "This just in! A monster made completely out of chocolate has robbed a jewelry store!" the anchorman was saying. "Police are baffled, an no one knows where this monster came from, or why it stole priceless diamonds, or whether it's coat is milk-chocolate, dark-chocolate, and whether-or-not it includes peanuts!"

"Well, that was convenient," Freddy said, then stuck his hand out. "Who's in?"

The rest of the gang stuck their hands in, piling them on top of each other. "No matter how tough the crime…" Daphne began.

"Or what creatures we face…" Velma added.

"Or where we may go…" Freddy added next.

"As long as we stick together…" Shaggy added next.

"We ran rolve the rystery!" Scooby finished.

The kids whooped and flung their hands into the air, then ran off to start off their summer with a new adventure.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_There's a mystery in town_

The gang is exploring the inside of a jewelry store at night, searching around… Scooby however, is sniffing at a trail of chocolate, licking his lips.

_So call the coolest pup around_

He came across a large, chocolate-coated monster, who roared at him.

_That's Scooby, a pup named Scooby-Doo_

_(Scooby-doo-be-doo, Scooby-Doo)_

Scooby screamed then shot off, crashing through a wall as he did.

_Join Shaggy and the crew_

Shaggy peeked around the corner, coming face-to-face with the monster, then shrieked and ran.

_Daphne, Freddy, Velma too!_

Daphne and Freddy were searching for clues with the monster coming up behind them… though Velma tripped it with her yo-yo, and the three of them took off while the monster was down.

_And Scooby, a pup named Scooby-Doo_

The gang regrouped, finding a trail of diamonds that led to a hidden door leading to a dark basement, which Scooby refused to enter.

_When the ghosts and ghouls attack_

Daphne held up a box labeled 'Scooby-Snacks' and tossed a couple to the pup.

_Scooby needs a Scooby-Snack!_

Scooby shot up like a rocket, then zipped downstairs with the gang following, where they found a mountain of diamonds.

_Scooby-doo-be-doo-_

"Jinkies!" Velma exclaimed, observing the diamonds… just as the Chocolate-Monster popped out of the pile!

_(Scooby-doo-be, Scooby-doo-be-doo)_

_(Scooby-doo-be, Scooby-doo-be-Doo)_

_So c'mon it's mystery time_

The kids started setting up a trap outside… with some help from their other meddler friends.

_You can help us solve the crime_

Shaggy and Scooby came running out of the store, pursued by the monster, accidentally running into the trap themselves, while the creature cornered their pals… up until the trap sprung them at the monster, and- since the creature was made of chocolate- Scooby and Shaggy ate away at the costume, revealing the culprit beneath.

_With Scooby, a pup named-_

The criminal was taken away, and the gang hi-fived each other.

_Scooby, a pup named Scooby-Doo_

_(Scooby-doo-be-doo, Scooby-Doo)_

Later back home, Shaggy was about to eat a cheeseburger, until Scooby popped up and ate it, earning a glare from his friend. One slurp to his pal's face and a hug later, the pup was forgiven.

_Scooby-Doo, where are you?_

_Scooby-Doo!_

**THE END!**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I just HAD to include the theme song as a finally! :D

Please review. I accept constructive criticism.


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